Syria Unveils New Currency for January 2026 in Bid To Support War-battered Economy
By The Media Line Staff
Syria’s central bank plans to begin swapping in a newly issued national currency on January 1, 2026, describing the step as a key move to stabilize the battered economy and rebuild public confidence in the Syrian pound.
Announcing the change on Thursday, Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Abdulkader Husrieh presented the new notes as a marker of financial sovereignty and the beginning of a new economic phase after years of conflict, sanctions, and political transition.
Officials say the operation will be carried out in an orderly and transparent manner, with detailed rules on where and how people can exchange their cash due to be announced at a press conference on December 28. The authorities emphasized that this is a technical redenomination rather than a devaluation, promising that old and new notes will be swapped one-for-one and that the nominal value of the currency will not change.
The move comes after more than a decade of war and sanctions that have slashed Syria’s output and driven many citizens into poverty, while the pound has collapsed from pre-war stability to levels that force people to carry thick bundles of cash for everyday transactions. The government portrayed the new currency as part of a broader reconstruction push amid hopes that improved monetary management will help attract investment.
Economists, however, cautioned that without deeper reforms to boost production, tame inflation, and rebuild trust in state institutions, a currency overhaul alone may have limited impact and could even unsettle a population already wary of sudden economic changes.
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