‘People don’t have money’: Syrian fuel hikes deepen economic pain

Published On 16 Sep 202616 Sep 2026.

Key points

• Ahmed Sweid drives a 25-passenger bus for the Shaheen transport firm, running between Idlib and Beirut.
• A sudden administration decree drove diesel costs up by 40 percent overnight and petrol by 28 percent.
• In Damascus, minibuses – a lifeline for the working class – raised fares immediately from 30 to 45 cents.
• "If a tourist comes thinking they will spend $1, 500, they will need more, " Sleiman remarked.
• Bashar Sleiman operates a tour bus that needs 90 litres of diesel daily.

Damascus, Syria – The fuel cost hike hit at midnight on Sunday. By Monday morning, frustration had poured into the streets, sparking open defiance throughout Syria.

For context, a sudden administration decree drove diesel costs up by 40 percent overnight and petrol by 28 percent. For millions of Syrians, the cost rise is a direct threat to their survival.

Demonstrators rapidly gathered in public squares from Aleppo and Idlib in the north to Hama in central Syria and Deraa in the south, burning tyres and blocking key roads – including the main highway between Damascus and Aleppo.

Notably, the initial wave of demonstrations has since eased in some areas, but the anger has not disappeared. On Wednesday, protesters in northeastern Syria blocked the M4 highway near Tal Tamr, stranding hundreds of oil tankers. Demonstrators remarked they would not reopen the route unless the rate increases were reversed.

Beyond the protests, a black market for diesel is booming. Syrian security units have began intercepting tankers caught heading to unlicensed refineries to fill up on illegal fuel.

Notably, the anger stems from the immediate fallout from the government's decision. It comes on the back of the high international cost of oil, largely a result of the consequences of the United States-Israel war on Iran.

Notably, the United Nations estimates that almost 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line; any jump in fuel costs instantly drives up the rate of transport and basic food.

And Sunday's hike came on top of repeated increases. While diesel has more than doubled, since February, the cost of 95-octane petrol has risen by concerning 86 percent. Over the same period, benchmark Brent crude rose by regarding 44 percent.

It all comes as Syria continues its recovery from a devastating, more than decade-long war. It only concluded with the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The new administration has been attempting to improve the country's economy, including by successfully working to remove most of the international sanctions that had been placed on the country for years. But for plenty of Syrians, economic improvements are not coming fast enough.

In Damascus, minibuses – a lifeline for the working class – raised fares immediately from 30 to 45 cents. Drivers say their margins are practically gone. One US dollar is equivalent to regarding 130 new Syrian pounds.

Adel Ali Meree, a bus driver, worked an eight-hour shift only to see his earnings swallowed by the fuel tank.

"I spent all my funds on diesel. I only have four and a half dollars left, " he explained. "At the end of the day, I might earn only $10. I could create this capital doing any other kind of work. It's just not worth it."

Larger operators face the same grim maths. Bashar Sleiman operates a tour bus that needs 90 litres of diesel daily. With the cost hikes, the cost to fill his tank jumped from the equivalent of $84 to $120.

His firm hasn't yet finalised a new pricing structure, but he expects to rise his usual $110-$125 daily rate by at least $15 to cover the rose costs.

"If a tourist comes thinking they will spend $1, 500, they will need more, " Sleiman remarked. "The hotels, food, transportation, and a tour guide will all obtain more expensive. Traffic has been a bit lighter the last couple of days, but this won't last. Nobody can afford not to generate an income."

Cross-border routes are additionally taking a hit. Ahmed Sweid drives a 25-passenger bus for the Shaheen transport firm, running between Idlib and Beirut.

Meanwhile, a round trip now requires $280 in diesel alone. So far, the firm has kept its ticket rate at $40, relying on fully booked buses to absorb the financial blow, but operators remain anxious.

At local markets, the crisis is just as obvious. In the Mezzeh neighbourhood of Damascus, produce seller Ahmed Obeid remarked his delivery freight charges had tripled overnight, jumping from $4 to $12 a load.

"When fuel prices go up, transport costs go up, " Obeid remarked. "That extra cost is passed on to the consumer. But individuals don't have capital."

Damascus authorities blame the high cost of securing fuel internationally. While the domestic market needs roughly 300, 000 to 325, 000 barrels of oil and petroleum products, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports, the Ministry of Energy notes Syria at present produces regarding 100, 000 barrels of crude oil a day. It notes concerning 60 percent of Syria's diesel supply is at present imported.

Syria's People's Assembly was set to question Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir over the cost increases on Thursday, but on Wednesday stated that the session had been postponed until September 20 as the ministry needed more time to prepare. The administration does insist the rate hikes are temporary.

But for Syrians dealing with ruined infrastructure and massive inflation, waiting for global markets to stabilise isn't an option.

For a population just trying to purchase groceries, a "temporary" shock is simply too long to survive.

In short, 'People don't have money': Syrian fuel hikes deepen economic pain is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.