Syria Signs Financial Sector Assessment Project with Qatar Fund and Oliver Wyman

Syrian Finance Minister Mohamed Yisr Barnieh signed a project to assess Syria's financial and banking sector in Washington on Friday, April 17, alongside the Qatar Fund for Development and international consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The signing was attended by Central Bank of Syria Governor Abdelkader Husrieh and the Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qutaiba Kadish.

The project is funded by the Qatar Fund for Development, with backing from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the World Bank. It represents a significant step toward strengthening the integrity and readiness of Syria's financial and banking sector for a more robust and effective role in supporting the national economy.

The initiative aims to conduct a thorough assessment of both Syria's banking sector and its non-bank financial institutions, leading to the development of a clear roadmap and action plan to upgrade the sector and enhance its capacity to finance national development. The project also serves as a practical foundation for advancing economic and financial reform, and for building the institutions and instruments needed to meet the demands of recovery and growth.

Minister Barnieh noted that this project is part of a broader series of initiatives supported by Qatar in favor of Syria, beginning with Qatar's contribution to Syria's return to the World Bank Group. He extended appreciation to the U.S. Treasury, the World Bank, and Oliver Wyman for their cooperation, which he said reinforces confidence in Syria's ability to pursue deeper institutional and financial reforms.

A memorandum of understanding signed in early 2026 between the World Bank and the Qatar Fund for Development links the public and private sectors in support of Syria's recovery path. Oliver Wyman brings extensive experience working with financial institutions and government bodies across the Middle East on risk management, reform, and institutional development.

On the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, Minister Barnieh and Governor Husrieh also met with business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to discuss investment opportunities in Syria.