Syria signs landmark deal to import natural gas from Jordan to stabilize power grid

Syria signed an agreement on Monday, Jan. 26, to purchase natural gas from Jordan, a move aimed at bolstering the country’s strained energy supplies.

The agreement stipulates that Jordan will deliver four million cubic meters of gas per day to be used for electricity generation in Syrian power plants.

Jordanian Energy Minister Saleh al-Kharabsheh stated that Jordan has been providing smaller quantities of gas since Jan. 1. Jordan receives liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the port of Aqaba using a vessel chartered from Egypt, which is then transported to Syria via pipeline.

The gas exported by Jordan from Aqaba via pipeline is almost certainly sourced from Israel’s offshore Leviathan gas field. Jordan relies primarily on pipeline imports from the Leviathan field, supplemented by LNG arriving in Aqaba through a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) leased from Egypt. The gas provided by Israel meets Jordan’s domestic demand, with a portion now being re-exported to Syria.

In 2022, as Egypt’s demand for Israeli gas increased, gas flows toward Egypt via Aqaba also commenced, supplementing existing Israel-Egypt transmission lines.

According to the Jordan Strategy Forum, the majority of gas consumed in Jordan is imported, with more than 85% originating from Israel—accounting for 2.65 million tons of oil equivalent out of a total 3.1 million tons.

Last November, Jordan announced its intention to activate energy agreements with Lebanon and Syria that were signed in 2022 and 2023 but had never been implemented.

Syrian Energy Minister Muhammad al-Bashir stated, according to state media, that the new agreement with Jordan will “help secure fuel supplies for power plants, diversify gas sources, and improve electrical reliability.”

Al-Kharabsheh noted that the deal reflects Jordan’s “pivotal role as a regional energy hub” and its approach toward “supporting brothers in Syria and strengthening Arab economic integration.”

Last year, the World Bank approved a $146 million grant to restore transmission lines and substations within Syria.

The agreement with Jordan marks the second major boost to Syria’s energy goals in recent days, following the government’s reclamation of vital oil fields from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Damascus seized key energy-producing regions in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa during an offensive against the SDF.

However, a report by The National described the Al-Omar oil field—which was heavily bombed by foreign forces during its occupation by ISIS—as a landscape of debris, scrap metal, and rusted cans. Syrian energy officials estimate that restoring the field to operational status will require billions of dollars.