The new currency notes, which will be introduced on January 1, 2026, will replace the old banknotes that previously featured portraits of the ousted president and his father. Instead, the new banknotes will depict olives, roses, wheat, and oranges.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the acting president, presented the new banknotes that will replace the old ones featuring images of Bashar al-Assad and his family members. In particular, Assad's portrait was placed on the 2000-pound note, while his father Hafez's was on the 1000-pound note.
As part of the announced monetary reform initiated by the head of the Central Bank of Syria, Abd al-Qadr Khusri, a new unit will be introduced—the Syrian pound, which will be valued at 100 existing pounds. Banknotes ranging from 10 to 500 Syrian pounds will start circulating from January 1 of next year, and they will also feature Damascene roses, wheat, olives, oranges, and other agricultural products.
The new administration of the country aims to restore the economy after more than ten years of war and sanctions. One of the key tasks for the authorities is to improve the state of the Syrian pound. Since the onset of the civil conflict in 2011, the pound's exchange rate has collapsed from 50 to approximately 11,000 per dollar, forcing citizens to carry large amounts of money even for everyday purchases.
