New currency for Syria

已複製連結

Syria officially began circulating the country's new currency bills Saturday, a year after the fall of Bashar Assad's government as the crisis-hit nation works on improving the economy.

Central Bank Governor Mokhles Nazer posted on X that after months of preparations, the exchange of old Syrian pounds with new banknotes officially began Saturday morning.

Crowds could be seen gathering outside money exchange stores in Damascus, the capital, where people swapped their old notes for the new editions. 

Mohannad Al-Ali, a resident of Damascus who exchanged his notes, told The Associated Press that there was a "strong turnout" at the currency stores. 

"Naturally, people like new things and change from time to time, and this kind of change, having the new currency, can have a small positive psychological effect," he said.