Media: Qatar plans gas shipments to Syria via complex pipeline network

Last week, reports indicated that Qatar, with Washington’s approval, is planning to start supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Syria’s new government.

The gas will be delivered to the port of Aqaba in Jordan, from where it is intended to be piped to Syria. However, according to The Marker, this plan faces technical challenges that make it unfeasible in its current form, per Caliber.Az.

The Jordanian pipeline, which runs south to north, is not designed for the reverse flow of gas. From Irbid, the pipeline can deliver gas to the north, but only after it reaches a junction connected to Israel’s pipeline network. Since 2022, Jordan has been receiving gas from Israel’s Leviathan field through this pipeline. In this scenario, the Qatari gas will be transported to Aqaba, where it would then be routed through Egypt. In exchange, Israeli gas will be sent to Jordan, from where it will be redirected to Syria and potentially Lebanon. The delivery of gas will essentially be offset, with gas producers balancing their supplies across borders.

Qatar is the third-largest holder of natural gas reserves globally and the sixth-largest producer. As of November 2024, Qatar had become the world’s third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, following the United States and Australia, according to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.

Syria, whose economy and infrastructure have been devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war and harsh Western sanctions under former President Bashar al-Assad, is in dire need of resources for reconstruction.

The ongoing conflict and sanctions have left the country struggling to rebuild its electricity grid and other essential services. Following the ousting of Assad in December by a swift rebel offensive, Syria's new leadership has faced immense difficulties in consolidating control over divided territories.

The United Nations estimated in 2017 that Syria would need at least $250 billion to rebuild, though experts now suggest that the actual cost could exceed $400 billion.