Qatar Seeks to Finance Salaries of Syrian State Employees After Sanctions Lift
Qatar's Attempts to Fund Syrian Public Sector Salaries Reveal Desire to Penetrate Syrian Landscape Again to Achieve Suspicious Regional Objectives
January 8, 2025, 8:56 pm

Qatar Seeks to Finance Salaries of Syrian State Employees After Sanctions Lift

ساحة الأمويين

Reuters revealed Qatar's intention to contribute to financing the anticipated salary increase for Syrian public sector workers, following Washington's sanctions exemptions for dealing with Syrian institutions.

A senior American official and diplomat disclosed to the agency that Doha plans to participate in financing the significant wage increase for state employees, promised by the interim government, a crucial step for the new Damascus administration.

Reuters highlighted that supporting the new Syrian administration has become possible under the US sanctions exemption issued Monday, allowing interactions with Syrian governance institutions for six months.

An Arab source indicated ongoing discussions about Qatar financing Syrian government salaries without reaching a final agreement, suggesting potential participation from other countries, including Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi official stated the Kingdom is "committed to working with regional and international partners to help support Syria", explaining current Saudi assistance focuses on humanitarian aid including food, shelter, and medical supplies.

The American official emphasized Qatar's intensive pressures on Washington to issue sanctions exemptions, enabling official funding injection.

Finance Minister in the interim government, Mohammed Abazid, reviewed a plan to raise public sector employee salaries by 400% starting next February.

Abazid revealed monthly salary costs with the increase would reach $120 million for over 1.25 million registered public sector employees, noting salary payment postponement due to discovering significant inflation in registered employee numbers compared to reality.

The Syrian minister warned about discovering fictitious names in financial lists receiving salaries without actual workplace presence, resulting from nepotism and corruption during the previous regime.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”