Enab Baladi – Ras al-Ain

The cities of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain are experiencing frequent fuel shortages and rising prices due to the geographical constraints of the area and the lack of any official route for oil products.

Fuel reaches the two cities through smuggling routes from SDF-controlled areas, managed by middlemen and traders.

Fuel prices have risen in the two cities; the price of a liter of diesel has reached 13,000 Syrian pounds, up from 10,000 pounds, while gasoline has gone up to 15,000 pounds compared to 10,000 pounds. The price of a liter of kerosene used for cooking stoves has also increased from 8,000 to 14,000 Syrian pounds.

High prices

Zaido al-Saeed (35 years old) relies on his motorcycle as his primary source of income in Tal Abyad, generating nearly 90,000 Syrian pounds daily by transporting people within the city and the countryside.

Due to the continual rise in gasoline prices, al-Saeed has been forced to increase his passenger transport fare by 20%, leading to a drop in the number of clients using the motorcycle as a means of transportation. His daily income now barely reaches 40,000 Syrian pounds.

He told Enab Baladi that the continuing rise in gasoline prices has prompted him to consider searching for another occupation that could ensure a better income and improve his financial situation, as daily wages for workers range between 80,000 and 100,000 pounds.

He mentioned that the number of motorcycle transport workers in Tal Abyad exceeded 40 individuals, but 30 of them have left this job due to rising fuel prices, leaving only ten people looking for other job opportunities.

Alaa Haitham (40 years old) cannot afford the cost of installing a solar energy system to irrigate his 125-dunum barley field, forcing him to rely on a diesel engine to extract water from the well.

Haitham used to buy a barrel of diesel (200 liters) for about 1.5 million pounds about a month ago, but the price has recently risen to nearly 2 million Syrian pounds.

He told Enab Baladi that he requires about 100 liters of diesel daily to irrigate his land, an amount that he cannot secure continuously, forcing him to abandon the cultivation of about 60 dunums and limiting his irrigated area to 65 dunums to reduce costs.

He pointed out that the continuation of this situation threatens the entire agricultural season, especially in light of the lack of support, rising production costs, and the absence of any entity to compensate for losses or provide alternatives such as solar energy.

Stagnation in businesses

There are no fixed fuel prices in Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, as they fluctuate constantly due to the limited availability and difficulty in securing them from SDF-controlled areas through illegal (smuggling) routes.

Smuggled fuel is sold in US dollars, and the price per liter is calculated based on this, leading to continuous price fluctuations, with increases or decreases occurring frequently.

Adnan al-Khalaf, a gas station owner in Tal Abyad, told Enab Baladi that the continual rise in fuel prices coming from SDF-controlled areas and its repeated shortages have paralyzed his business and that of other gas station owners in the city.

He explained that they are in a dilemma regarding fuel pricing, as they are unable to determine an appropriate price, causing a crisis of confidence between them and the residents.

He added that it is the responsibility of the new Syrian government to open roads and find solutions for the area, whose administrative affiliation is still unclear.

He noted that if these conditions persist, he will be forced to close the station until the situation improves and sufficient fuel quantities arrive in the city at reasonable prices.

Decrease in fuel imports by 40%

The primary supplier of fuel to the Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain areas stated in an interview with Enab Baladi that the main reason for the fuel crisis in the region is the difficulty of accessing it through the international M4 highway, which separates the two cities from SDF-controlled areas.

He clarified that the quantities reaching the area are continuously decreasing, accompanied by a rise in prices due to extortion imposed by some influential individuals from the SDF on the tanker trucks that can reach the unloading area.

He added that compared to the end of 2024, the quantities entering the two cities have decreased by 40%, in addition to a decline in fuel quality.

He indicated that the only solution lies in opening the roads and urgently supplying fuel to the area, especially with the summer season approaching and the increased demand for irrigation of agricultural crops.

Enab Baladi contacted the local councils in Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, where they clarified that the arrival of petroleum materials from SDF-controlled areas is not under their oversight, and they primarily rely on imports coming from Turkey.

From time to time, fuel crises occur in Ras al-Ain, the most notable of which was in August 2023, when the city and its vast countryside experienced a fuel crisis due to the interruption of most types.