Position
Syrian businessman, former member of Syria’s People’s Assembly, and head/owner figure in the Qaterji/Katerji business network. OFAC identifies him as linked to Al-Qatirji Company.
Association
Associated with the Assad regime, regime-linked oil and wheat networks, and the Qaterji Group. Reuters and the U.S. Treasury describe him as a broker of oil and wheat trade between the Assad government and ISIS-controlled areas beginning in 2014.
Loyalty
Aligned with the Assad regime and its wartime economic survival networks. The U.S. Treasury described him as a regime-linked businessman who helped sustain the government through oil and wheat deals.
Most Notorious Crimes / Allegations
- Facilitating oil and wheat trade between the Assad regime and ISIS-held territories, providing a critical economic lifeline to the regime.
- Acting as a wartime intermediary in organized trade systems involving oil and wheat from northeastern Syria.
- Leading or backing Qaterji militias, reported to have supported regime military operations and strengthened his influence in Aleppo.
- Alleged involvement in property appropriation and coercive economic practices in Aleppo neighborhoods.
Profile
Hussam Qaterji is a Syrian businessman from Raqqa who rose rapidly during the Syrian war by acting as a key intermediary between the Assad regime and forces controlling resource-rich territories in northeastern Syria. His network became especially important in moving oil and wheat from areas held by ISIS and later other forces into regime-controlled areas, helping the government address severe fuel and food shortages. The U.S. Treasury described him as the “godfather” of the regime’s oil and wheat trade with ISIS.
Qaterji also built a political and paramilitary profile. He served in Syria’s parliament from Aleppo and became associated with the Qaterji Group, a business empire spanning energy, transport, hospitality, real estate, and trade. Open-source reporting links him to militia activity, property seizures, and later internal disputes within the Assad-linked business elite, including reports that Asma al-Assad’s circle seized parts of his assets after a family-related scandal. These latter claims remain less firmly verified and should be treated as reported allegations.
Identity
- Name: Hussam bin Ahmed Rushdi al-Qaterji / Hussam Qaterji / Hossam Katerji
- Arabic: حسام قاطرجي
- Date of birth: 11 January 1982
- Place of birth: Raqqa, Syria
- Nationality: Syrian
- Known roles: businessman, former MP, Qaterji Group figure.
Career Timeline, Crimes & Responsibility
- 2014 onward: Began brokering oil and wheat deals between the Assad regime and ISIS-controlled areas, according to U.S. Treasury.
- 2016: Became a member of Syria’s People’s Assembly for Aleppo, according to U.S. Treasury.
- 2016–2020 period: Built influence in Aleppo through business, militia links, and control of vital sectors including energy and real estate.
- 2019: Designated by the European Union under Syria sanctions.
- 2020: Sanctioned by the United States under counterterrorism-related authorities for links to Al-Qatirji Company and regime resource networks.
- 2023: Opposition reporting claimed he fled or attempted to flee after house arrest and asset seizures; this remains unverified.
- 2024: After the killing of his brother Mohammad Baraa Qaterji, reporting stated Hussam became a leading figure in the company/network.
Legal Proceedings
No confirmed criminal conviction or public international prosecution was found in the sources reviewed. Accountability actions against him have primarily taken the form of sanctions.
Sanctions
- United States: OFAC SDN listing; linked to Al-Qatirji Company and sanctioned under terrorism-related authorities.
- European Union: Listed under Syria sanctions in 2019.
- United Kingdom: UK sanctions records list Qaterji-related entities and beneficial ownership links.
Current Status / Whereabouts
His current location is not confirmed.