As Syrian forces destroy homes, minister builds luxury house

As Syrian forces continue their brutal assault against protestors and missiles destroy their homes, a minister published on his Facebook page a picture of his villa built in Aleppo with the caption “Finally”, indicating that it was complete, to which friends rushed to congratulate him for this achievement.

Syria’s Minister of Economy and Trade, Mohamad Nedal al-Chaar’s home is located in the Mouhandissin countryside, one of the most prestigious suburbs of Aleppo, according to a merchant familiar with this house who spoke to Al Arabiya on the condition of anonymity.

He estimated the cost of the villa to more than two million dollars, adding that it was built over a period of three years. “I saw them begin construction in 2009,” he said.

The Syrian economic magazine “Al-Iqtisadi” also published a story about the minister and his villa.

Salary of the Syrian minister

The average salary of a minister in Syria is between 50,000 to 75,000 Syrian pounds (between $ 1,000 and $ 1,500, before the depreciation of the pound due to the uprising), and today equals approximately $900. However with “benefits of special missions” it can reach $2,000.

Chaar, born in Aleppo 57 years ago, began his work at the ministry a year ago. Prior to that, he held several prominent positions in the Arab world, including Secretay General, Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions.

Almost half an hour after Al Arabiya posted the news online, the minister removed the picture from his Facebook page as well as all the greetings he received.


(Translated by Rana Khoury)