Syria HighTech 2025: Pioneering Digital Transformation and Global Tech Alliances

Syria is gearing up for what looks set to be one of its most ambitious steps towards digital transformation — the 11th edition of Syria HighTech, happening from 20 to 24 November 2025 at the Damascus Fairgrounds. More than 220 companies from across ten countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Turkey, China, Lebanon, Jordan, and the UK, will descend on the capital to showcase innovations in telecoms, fintech, AI, cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure. Quite the line-up, if you ask me.

At a press conference unveiling the event’s new visual identity and broader regional ambitions, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdulsalam Haykal highlighted that Syria HighTech is “more than just an exhibition” — it’s meant to serve as a national focal point for innovation and investment. His emphasis on bridging public and private sectors was spot on; it’s the kind of collaboration every young tech ecosystem needs to stand on its own two feet.

I’ve seen similar gatherings across the region through Arageek’s work covering MENA startups — and events like these can be a mixed bag. They can be a bit of a faff to pull off, sure, but when they work, the ripple effects last for years. The Ministry seems keen to make this edition count, tying it directly to its 2025 ICT strategy aimed at beefing up digital infrastructure and creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

This year’s event is also pegged as a turning point — not just another conference, but part of Syria’s broader effort to rebuild its tech capacity. HighTech 2025 will bring together international technology providers, investors, startups and telecom operators for a series of investment forums, workshops and B2B sessions. The goal? Building the backbone needed for Syria’s digital economy to finally stretch its legs.

Several infrastructure projects are already pointing in that direction. The recently announced **SilkLink Project**, for example, introduces a 4,500 km optical-fibre backbone connecting Damascus and Aleppo with Tartus, setting Syria up as a strategic corridor linking Asian and European data flows. Then there’s **Ugarit 2**, a collaboration involving the American firm UNIFI, the Syrian Telecommunications Company and Cyprus Telecom Authority, expected to double the country’s internet capacity soon. Add to that the **BarqNet Initiative**, developed with consultancy Arthur D. Little, which aims for 85% fibre-to-the-home coverage by 2027.

Syria’s young and cost-competitive workforce is already proving to be a selling point, particularly in software development and tech outsourcing. With the Syrian diaspora showing renewed interest and a few startup incubators popping up in key cities, the pieces are starting to fit together.

Of course, challenges remain — funding gaps, infrastructure bottlenecks, and the need for policy consistency. But, on the flip side, the momentum feels genuine this time. Opportunities are opening up across telecom modernisation, 4G and 5G rollout, e-government, fintech, and the digitisation efforts tied to reconstruction. I reckon if the country manages to sustain this focus, even amid all the hurdles, it could quietly become a regional hub that no one quite saw coming.

And believe it or not, for a place that’s faced years of turmoil, that’s something worth being chuffed about. The journey’s long, and definately not easy, but the push for a smarter, more connected Syria seems to be gathering real steam.

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