The Minister of Finance, Mohammed Yisr Barnieh is a Syrian economist who previously held senior positions in international financial institutions and played a key role in shaping Syria's financial markets. Barnieh earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Damascus University in 1990. He then pursued graduate studies in economics at the University of Kansas, the University of Washington, and Oklahoma State University between 1990 and 1994. In 1996 he began his career as a trainee at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Later that year, he joined the Arab Monetary Fund as an economist, where he steadily rose through the ranks, eventually serving as head of financial markets. Between 2004 and 2007, Barniyeh played a role in establishing the Syrian Commission on Financial Markets and Securities and the Damascus Securities Exchange, contributing to the development of Syria’s financial sector by strengthening its regulatory and institutional framework. From 2009 to 2024, he held various positions within the Arab Monetary Fund, culminating in his role as director of the Economic Policy Department. In this capacity, he oversaw economic research and advised Arab governments on financial reforms.
And the Minister of Economy and Industry, Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar is a Syrian economist who previously served as Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade in the Adel Safar government and a member of the People's Assembly from 2003 to 2007. Al-Shaar's professional career spans consultancy and training roles in financial markets and institutions across multiple countries. He has advised both private and governmental organizations in the United States and the United Arab Emirates on monetary policy, banking, securities markets, mergers and acquisitions, and investment. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Aleppo in 1980. He later pursued advanced studies in the United States, obtaining a Master of Science in International Business from South Dakota State University, a Master of Philosophy in Finance and International Investment from George Washington University, and a PhD in economics from George Washington University. Early in his career, he worked as a researcher for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. From 1996 to 2001, al-Shaar served as a professor at the University of Aleppo’s Faculty of Economics. During this period, he also held the position of Director of the Central Bank of Syria’s branch in Aleppo. Subsequently, he was Secretary General of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions from 2002 to 2012. He has been involved with emerging markets indices and contributed to training staff at the Dubai Financial Market, Dubai Mercantile Exchange, and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. Al-Shaar's career also includes roles as Chief of Market Management and Studies at Fannie Mae in Washington, Vice President at Johnson & Higgins in New York and Washington, and economic adviser at the World Bank. Additionally, he has served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where he taught courses on macroeconomics, global economics, money and banking.
Neither is "short on economic expertise".
So what exactly is
@AbuJamajem talking about? 🤨
Syrians are suffering because their leaders are “short on economic expertise” and have rejected international borrowing, writes
@AbuJamajem. How can the country begin to recover?
foreignaffairs.com/syria/syr…