HTS’ Watad Petroleum in Syria’s Idlib announces permanent shutdown
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – The Watad Petroleum Company, which is affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and has monopolized fuel market in northwest Syria for years, announced on Friday that it had completely halted its work in the HTS-held areas.
The company said in a statement published on its official outlets, “Watad Petroleum, and after five years of work, announces the complete halt of its work, after the HTS’ General Directorate of Petroleum Derivatives did not approve the new licensing agreement, starting from tomorrow Saturday.”
In addition, the HTS’ General Directorate of Petroleum Derivatives announced the names of the companies whose licensing applications were accepted in order to supply the region with fuel. The companies were Al-Arabiya, Al-Salam, Al-Rahma, Taiba, Al-Etihad , and Al- Alamiyah Company.
According to informed sources, all the six mentioned companies are affiliated with the HTS, and what the latter did to Watad was a matter of changing names. The reason for that, the sources said, is to distribute the work to the six companies so as none of them can be accused of monopolizing the market.
For five years, Watad has been the only company that monopolized the fuel market and controlled its prices in the HTS-held areas, northwestern Syria.