Khaberni - The convention palace in the Syrian capital, Damascus, witnessed an official ceremony on Monday evening during which the new Syrian currency was launched, in the presence of President Ahmad Al-Shar', and the governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abd al-Qader al-Hasriya, along with official and popular delegations.
This monetary step comes after a comprehensive study of international currencies, resulting in the adoption of six denominations: 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 pounds.
The process of replacing the old currency with the new one is scheduled to begin at the start of January 2026, within a ninety-day period subject to extension.
Design Philosophy: Connection to the land and geography
The head of the design team, Wasim Qadura, explained that the visual vision of the currency was based on transcending "personalization" and distancing from political or ideological symbols, in favor of creating a sense of national unity reflecting the uncontroversial Syrian geography.
The denominations included images of agricultural crops famous in the country, such as: olives, wheat, citrus, cotton, Damascus rose, and Damascene mulberry.
Natural elements such as the butterfly, the Arabian oryx, and the Arabian horse were also integrated, to enhance the notions of movement and continuity, with attention to color contrast derived from the agricultural product context itself to facilitate distinguishing the categories.
Monetary sovereignty and security standards
The other side of the currency carries historical financial symbols affirming state sovereignty, featuring an illustration of the Central Bank of Syria next to the treasury located in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Regarding the technical side, the banknotes were designed with high-level security standards to protect against counterfeiting, starting from the type of paper, passing through a multicolored "hologram" strip, to visible and hidden visual symbols.
Team challenges and global trends
Qadura mentioned that the greatest challenges represented creating a design content that enjoys popular consensus and considers the diverse taste of all societal segments, noting that seven members of the team that designed "the visual identity for Syria" contributed to this achievement.
He affirmed that the new design aligns with modern global trends that lean towards sustainability and connection with nature and land, thus marking this currency as a link between the bright past and the aspired future of the state.
