Position: Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources
Association: The Assad Regime
Loyalty: Bashar al-Assad
Most Notorious Crimes:
- Managed Syria’s oil and gas sector during peak war-time corruption and sanctioned oil deals with foreign allies
- Facilitated regime survival through secretive energy agreements with Iran and Russia
- Accused of overseeing embezzlement, resource exploitation, and the diversion of oil revenues to fund military and intelligence operations
Profile
Ali Ghanem served as Syria’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources during a critical phase of the country’s war, overseeing a sector ravaged by sanctions, war damage, and regime corruption. Appointed by Bashar al-Assad in 2016, Ghanem was tasked with stabilizing Syria’s energy production while channeling dwindling revenues into the regime’s war machine.
Under his leadership, the ministry became a conduit for illicit oil deals with regime allies like Iran and Russia. Ghanem is alleged to have played a key role in negotiating oil-for-weapons arrangements and granting extraction rights in exchange for military and political support. These deals often came at the expense of national sovereignty and economic recovery, as critical infrastructure was handed over to foreign control.
Despite Syria’s crumbling energy grid and fuel shortages that devastated civilian life, Ghanem maintained a close alliance with the inner circles of Assad’s security apparatus. He has been accused of turning a blind eye to large-scale embezzlement and allowing oil profits to flow directly into accounts controlled by regime cronies and intelligence networks.
Sanctioned by the European Union and United States for enabling the financing of war crimes and human rights abuses, Ali Ghanem remains emblematic of the Assad regime’s exploitation of state institutions for survival and control. His tenure helped entrench Syria’s dependence on external actors and left long-lasting damage to its natural resource sovereignty.
Identity
Full Name: Ali Ghanem (علي غانم)
Date of Birth: Unknown
Place of Birth: Syria
Nationality: Syrian
Career Timeline
Pre-2016: Worked in Syria’s petroleum and energy sector in senior administrative positions.
2016–2024: Appointed Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; managed Syria’s oil and gas sector amid sanctions, war damage, and regime corruption. Negotiated and facilitated secret oil and energy deals with foreign allies such as Iran and Russia; oversaw extraction rights and oil-for-weapons arrangements.
Crimes & Responsibilities
- Wartime Corruption: Oversaw embezzlement and misappropriation of oil revenues.
- Illicit Energy Deals: Arranged secretive oil-for-weapons and resource-for-support agreements with Iran and Russia.
- Funding Military Operations: Diverted petroleum profits to finance intelligence branches and pro-regime militias.
Legal Proceedings & Sanctions
Sanctions: Designated by the European Union and United States for enabling financing of war crimes and human rights abuses through the petroleum sector.
Current Status/Whereabouts
Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Ghanem’s current location is unknown.
