On Thursday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET, The Atlantic Council’s Syria Project and the US-Syria Business Council hosted a public discussion on Syria’s evolving energy landscape, featuring Yousef Qiblawy, CEO of the Syria Petroleum Company.
As Syria navigates a critical transition from prolonged conflict toward economic stabilization and reconstruction, the energy sector will play a central role in shaping the country’s recovery trajectory. This conversation examined the current state of Syria’s oil and gas industry, the regulatory and structural reforms underway to attract responsible investment, opportunities for US companies, and the challenges faced when seeking to engage in Syria’s emerging market. The discussion also assessed how Syria’s energy development could contribute to broader economic revitalization, regional integration, and long-term stability.
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Keynote remarks
Ambassador Thomas Barrack
US Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria,
US Department of State
Speakers
Hunter Hunt
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Hunt Oil Company
Yousef Qiblawy
Chief Executive Officer,
Syria Petroleum Company
Noam Raydan
Senior Fellow,
The Washington Institute of Near East Policy
Jay Salkini
Chairman,
US-Syria Business Council
Jacob Mcgee
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs and the Levant Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs,
US Department of State
Victoria J. Taylor
Director, Iraq Initiative and Syria Project,
Atlantic Council
Moderated by
Wa’el Alzayat
Executive Director,
US-Syria Business Council;
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project,
Atlantic Council
Agenda
10:00–10:10 a.m. | Welcome remarks
Speakers
Victoria J. Taylor
Director, Iraq Initiative and Syria Project
Atlantic Council
Jay Salkini
Chairman
US-Syria Business Council
10:10–10:40 a.m. | Keynote remarks
Speakers
Ambassador Thomas Barrack
US Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria
US Department of State
Yousef Qiblawy
Chief Executive Officer
Syria Petroleum Company
10:40–11:30 a.m. | Energy resources in Syria and opportunities for US companies
Yousef Qiblawy
Chief Executive Officer
Syria Petroleum Company
Hunter Hunt
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Hunt Oil Company
Jacob Mcgee
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli- Palestinian Affairs and the Levant Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
US Department of State
Noam Raydan
Senior Fellow
The Washington Institute of Near East Policy
Moderated by
Wa’el Alzayat
Executive Director
US-Syria Business Council;
Nonresident senior fellow, Syria Project
Atlantic Council
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Through our Middle East Programs, the Atlantic Council works with allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.
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