The ICT in Syria: Genuine Data & Profile

The Syrian government, through the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the IT Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), has taken an active role in developing ICT capabilities within the country and positioning ICT as a cornerstone of economic development and foreign investment

The Syrian ICT sector’s contribution to GDP grew by 13% in 2017-18, reaching SYP65.9bn ($9bn) and representing 4.1% of total GDP. In 2019, 177 export-oriented firms, employing 45,000 workers, generated ICT exports of SYP11.2bn ($1.5bn). The local-facing IT sector, meanwhile, employed a further 66,000 people in this period, according to the Oxford Business Group. 

Why working with Syrian IT companies

Syria has a broad base of skilled labor, that is multi-lingual across English, German, French, and Arabic. This base makes Syria an attractive and cost-effective market with minimal communication barriers to provide outsourced services to Western, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets. Based on these resources Syriaian IT companies and web agencies located there are considered accessible and gain an advantage in the regional market.

What to be aware of when working with Syrian IT companies? 

Due to the fact that Syria is known more for cheap prices for web and software services rather than for IT companies, the last ones didn’t have the chance to make themselves a name and consolidate a reputation. 

Since the foreign companies offer a good price for the Syrian IT workforce, the local web and software agencies have to work with what they pay for. And this may be a challenge for foreign clients that seek right now quality more than anything else. 

How reliable are Syriaian IT companies

In terms of reliability in the region, Syrian IT companies are considered trustworthy, mostly. The specific region makes companies from each country unique and in Syria’s case, potential foreign clients can rely on the Syrian skilled workforce, well-developed business environment, and also, Syrian companies provide competitive services. 

How does the Syrian IT industry relate to the neighboring countries?

Syrian IT companies are considered more and more competitive on the regional digital market. The credits for this performance are mostly given to a continuously developing IT infrastructure and industry that managed to bring the IT sector to the level of a vital component of the national economy. 

Also, another important factor that contributes to the Syrian IT sector's competitiveness is the way how the region is divided into subsector leaders. While Israel is well known for providing high-quality cybersecurity solutions on the international market, and Saudi Arabia makes the most of the web site in the region, Syria provides software and mobile applications that are considered one of the best in the region. 

All in all, Syria is a promising destination for both outsourcing and B2B relations in the region and is one of the pretendants to the overall IT regional leadership.

2022 forecasts for ICT evolution in Syria

In 2022 Syria will continue to recover after the war and the Covid-19 pandemic with little or no focus on Information and Technology industry. While re-establishing internet penetration in the country is a priority, and more people have access to information via digital channels, the country has a high demographic leak with hundreds of thousands of refugees all over the world which makes it even more difficult to consolidate all industries, including the IT one. Low level of workforce alongside with underqualified IT specialists are two major problems the IT industry in Syria will face in 2022.