Cheap Oil and the Impact on Rebuilding Syria
Abstract
For decades, oil has played a significant role in the Syrian economy. Today, oil prices are less than half of what they were when Syria was last exporting oil, and most experts say that cheap oil will be the norm for the foreseeable future. This paper argues that rebuilding the Syrian energy infrastructure will not be cost effective in the current oil pricing environment. I will present a quick overview of oil s historic role in the Syrian economy, followed by a synopsis of the current state of Syria s oil infrastructure. An analysis of the impact of low oil prices on other Middle Eastern countries will be conducted in order to predict the effect oil prices will have on Syria s post-war economy. Given the similarities between countries, a specific comparison will be made to Yemen in an effort to predict the challenges that Syria will face when entering the rebuilding phase. Additionally, I will assess the rebuild of Iraq and show why Iraq s success in using oil revenue to rebuild the country is not a model that can be applied in Syria.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 30, 2015
- Accession Number
- AD1000871
Entities
People
- Andy Liggett
Organizations
- Joint Military Operations Department