ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed a new chief executive of the state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) on Sunday, replacing Youssef Qablawi amid public anger over a shipment of substandard gasoline that damaged vehicles across the country.
Under presidential decree No. 190, Sharaa appointed Maher Khalil Hassan to lead the company, according to Syrian state media. The decree did not specify a reason for Qablawi's replacement.
The appointment comes five days after Syria's energy ministry acknowledged that an operational error had allowed gasoline that failed to meet quality standards to enter the domestic market, damaging vehicles and prompting demands for accountability.
The incident has added to public frustration over rising fuel prices, which sparked protests across Syria in September, putting further pressure on a government struggling to meet domestic energy demand and reduce its reliance on costly imports.
On Tuesday, the energy ministry said a technical committee investigating complaints about vehicle breakdowns had identified a shipment of gasoline that failed to meet approved quality standards.
According to the ministry, the shipment had been unloaded into SPC storage facilities before the company decided to return it to its source because it was unsuitable for domestic consumption.
“During the process of returning the non-compliant gasoline through the pipeline network, an operational error occurred, causing it to mix with gasoline that met the required specifications,” the ministry said.
It added that some of the mixed fuel had reached the domestic market, damaging vehicles.
The investigation followed complaints reported on October 10 by motorists who said their vehicles had developed mechanical problems after refueling.
The ministry pledged to take legal measures against those responsible and address shortcomings in operational procedures and quality control.
It also instructed SPC to establish a compensation mechanism for affected vehicle owners, with payments to be made in stages.
The crisis prompted calls for Qablawi's removal.
Khaled al-Khalaf, a member of the Syrian People's Assembly's energy committee, called on Sharaa to dismiss Qablawi, holding him responsible for the gasoline crisis.
“We hold Youssef Qablawi responsible for the adulterated gasoline issue and call on the president to dismiss him,” Khalaf said in remarks to state-owned Syrian News Channel.
The leadership change also comes amid broader discontent over fuel prices and a week after the Syrian Central Bank announced that it had issued its first letter of credit in 14 years to finance petroleum imports from Saudi Arabia's Aramco Trading, the trading arm of Saudi Aramco.
The transaction, arranged on October 11 through an unnamed “major” US bank, is intended to help the Syrian Petroleum Company secure fuel supplies through formal international banking channels.
The agreement comes as Syria struggles to meet domestic fuel demand amid declining oil production, costly imports and public anger over rising prices. The Syrian Petroleum Company said the new financing arrangement would improve its ability to manage petroleum purchases and secure supplies for the domestic market.
In September, Syrian authorities raised government-regulated fuel prices, with 95-octane gasoline increasing by around 28 percent to 195 Syrian pounds per liter and 90-octane gasoline rising by approximately 26 percent to 185 pounds.
Diesel prices increased by 40 percent, while household cooking gas prices rose by nearly nine percent, triggering protests in several parts of the country.
Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir attributed the increases partly to the temporary shutdown of the Baniyas refinery for a major overhaul, forcing Syria to rely more heavily on imported petroleum products.
Hassan, who was born in Syria's Hama province in 1986, graduated with a degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Homs in 2010.
He worked in production operations at Hayan Oil Company between 2011 and 2013 and later oversaw oilfields in eastern Homs province.
He also served as an assistant to the economy and resources minister in the former Idlib-based Syrian Salvation Government.
Following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Hassan served as minister of internal trade and consumer protection in the caretaker government before becoming deputy minister of economy and industry in April 2025.
Before his replacement, Qablawi had outlined plans to rehabilitate inactive oil wells, drill new wells and expand refining capacity to increase domestic production and reduce dependence on imports.
