Syria Names New Central Bank Governor

Syria named a new central bank governor on Friday in the latest reshuffle since last week’s partial government overhaul.

The official SANA news agency said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa named Abdul Hamid Raslan, a longtime banker and former head of the Syrian Development Fund, to the role.

He will replace Abdul Qadir al-Hasriya, who will become Syria’s ambassador to Canada, according to state television, quoting a foreign ministry official.

Hasriya had been governor since April 2025, taking over from Maysa Sabreen, who had been appointed caretaker governor in December 2024, after an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime president Bashar al-Assad.

Hasriya oversaw the change in Syrian money bills at the start of the year, removing two zeros, which does not impact the currency’s value but was done to make transactions easier and restore trust in the Syrian pound.

They also replaced bills showing images of Assad and his family.

The governor change is the latest since a partial overhaul last week saw Sharaa replace two ministers, several governors, and even the secretary-general for the presidency, a post previously occupied by his brother Maher.

The reasons behind the overhaul are unclear.

AFP