October 18, 2026 18:25
Syrian President Ahmed Al‑Sharaa appointed Omar Al‑Halabi as chairman of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, signaling a push to attract foreign capital after more than a decade of conflict.
The fund, which sits at the heart of Damascus’s economic recovery plans, will oversee investment projects and manage state assets, including holdings seized from businessmen tied to the former Assad regime.
In a decree released by state media, Sharaa also named Halabi as an adviser for economic affairs to the presidency, charging him with steering the new board.
According to the state news agency SANA, Halabi brings over 20 years of experience in economic policy, institution building, and sovereign investment across the Middle East and global markets. He previously led economics and public‑policy advisory for the Middle East at KPMG and worked alongside Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.