Maysaa Sabrine Appointed as First Female Governor of Syria’s Central Bank

Damascus, The Gulf Observer: Syria’s interim government has appointed Maysaa Sabrine as governor of the Syrian central bank, making her the first woman to lead the institution in its more than 70-year history. A longtime central bank official with extensive experience in banking sector oversight, Sabrine succeeds Mohammed Issam Hazime, who was removed following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad on December 8.

Under Sabrine’s leadership, the central bank is expected to continue implementing measures aimed at liberalizing Syria’s heavily state-controlled economy. Recent reforms have included the elimination of pre-approval requirements for imports and exports and easing restrictions on foreign currency use.

Despite these efforts, the central bank and Syria remain under stringent U.S. sanctions. The bank has also undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s financial standing following Assad’s departure. According to sources cited by Reuters, the vault retains nearly 26 tonnes of gold—the same amount it held at the onset of the civil war in 2011—but foreign currency reserves have plummeted from $18 billion to approximately $200 million.

Sabrine’s appointment marks a significant milestone for the institution, signaling a potential shift in the country’s economic and financial policies amid its ongoing recovery efforts.