DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa unveils new banknotes replacing those showing ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and his family, hoping the Syrian pound can regain some of the value lost over a decade of war.
Improving the standing of the Syrian pound is among the greatest challenges for Syria’s new authorities, who will remove two zeros in a process known as redenomination.
The new bills, which range from 10 to 500 Syrian pounds, will enter circulation on January 1. They show images of roses, wheat, olives, oranges, and other agricultural symbols for which Syria is famous.
After unveiling the banknotes, Sharaa says the new currency marks “the end of a previous, unlamented phase and the beginning of a new phase that the Syrian people… aspire to.”
“The new currency design is an expression of the new national identity and a move away from the veneration of individuals.”
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