Launched by Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Syria's National Startup Agenda (2025 - 2030) is a necessary framework to support the development of Syria’s startup ecosystem. However, it is more crucial for Syria to strengthen its digital infrastructure and the broader digital economy, which provides the foundational platform upon which a vibrant startup ecosystem can emerge. Syria could learn from Estonia and Singapore’s experience of adopting a whole-of-government approach in formulating its digital economy strategy. For example, Estonia’s digital government governance structure, AI governance frameworks, data and AI development strategies have been developed and implemented by the relevant government ministries and agencies, with the formulation and implementation of some frameworks requiring tight inter-ministry coordination. Similarly, Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative is a whole-of-nation effort led by Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information to integrate digital technologies into everyday life, governance and business.

Key ideas: 

• Establishing a Digital Economy Coordination Office with cross-ministerial authority. 
  • The strategic target: company registration in under 48 hours by 2028, and 15 minutes by 2030. That single metric will communicate the speed of the new Syria more powerfully than any promotional campaign.

Syria had, before the war, one of the highest literacy rates in the Arab world and a strong tradition of engineering education. That asset base has been damaged, not destroyed. The priority is reconnecting it, especially by reconnecting local talent with returning diaspora tech professionals and business leaders who were based in global tech hubs.

In the short term, integrating computational thinking and data literacy into the national curriculum by 2027 — drawing on Estonia's Tiger Leap programme as a low-cost rollout model — lays the cognitive foundation. At the tertiary and university level, government commitment to innovation, research, and entrepreneurship can incentivise Syrian universities and higher education institutions to support the development of the startup ecosystem through initiatives such as remote mentorship programmes for aspiring founders and the establishment of innovation incubators in collaboration with local and international ecosystems.
Key ideas:

• In collaboration with the local Syrian startup ecosystem and Syrian diaspora, consider developing a Syria Overseas Innovation Fellowship that sends annual cohorts of students to work in global startup hubs with a commitment to return to rebuild the pipeline of tech professionals for the local Syrian startup ecosystem.

Syria’s strategic asset - millions of diaspora

Despite operating under challenging conditions during the Assad regime, Syria’s private sector remains one of the country’s strongest assets for recovery and future growth. At the same time, Syria’s diaspora, an estimated 8-13 million people globally, represents a strategic yet underutilised asset in the country’s post-crisis recovery and transition. This includes engineers at global technology firms, financiers in Gulf institutions, and entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses abroad. What Estonia did with e-Residency — creating a borderless economic connection — Syria can do for its diaspora at scale. 

Diaspora communities can play a critical role not only in supporting short-term recovery efforts but also in advancing Syria’s longer-term development and economic transformation. 

• In 2025, remittance inflows alone were estimated at approximately USD$4 billion in 2025, equivalent to 15–20 per cent of Syria’s unofficial GDP, underscoring the diaspora’s continued economic importance.

Syria's diaspora should be treated not as a loss but as a distributed resource network to be connected - they possess valuable technical, entrepreneurial, and professional experience gained abroad while maintaining strong ties to their country of origin. As Syria’s investment climate gradually improves, there are increasing signs of interest from diaspora entrepreneurs and investors seeking to contribute to the country’s recovery, including through the development of its technology and digital economy. Harnessing this potential will require targeted policies that strengthen investor confidence, reduce barriers to engagement, and create clear pathways for diaspora participation in Syria’s reconstruction and long-term development.

Key ideas: 

• Syria Digital Residency programme allowing diaspora members to register and operate Syrian businesses remotely (modelled on Estonia's e-Residency); 
• Syria Diaspora Innovation Bond allowing overseas Syrians to invest directly in ecosystem development with transparent use-of-funds reporting
• Structured partnerships with diaspora tech communities in Silicon Valley, London, and the Gulf — through platforms such as Syria Next Conference (SYNC) — can activate angel investment pipelines for domestic founders immediately.

No startup ecosystem functions without financial plumbing. Syria's SWIFT reintegration was critical but is only the beginning.In addition, throughout the transition, transparency and continuous engagement are crucial to earning citizens' trust in the nation's infrastructure. The banking sector requires partial privatisation and digital modernisation to create space for fintech operators. Bilateral financial cooperation agreements with the UAE, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia — countries with large Syrian diaspora communities — would reduce cross-border capital flow costs. Engaging global fintech partners such as Wise and regional players, including Tabby (MENA buy-now-pay-later platform) and Tamara (MENA fintech superapp) to extend payment infrastructure to Syrian merchants reduces cash dependency quickly.. 

Key ideas: 

• A Syria Startup Finance Facility, possibly co-funded by international organisations such as the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and Gulf sovereign wealth funds, could provide concessional early-stage capital through licensed private fund managers — not government bureaucrats — to avoid the patronage distortions that have historically undermined state-run investment programmes across the region.

The final and most structurally important recommendation is deepened and continued engagement between private and public sector players through conducive, open and transparent dialogue, which can facilitate the conditions for partnerships and collaboration.  Notably, local tech events such as TEXPO, Project Syria 2026 and Syria Hi-Tech Information and Communication Technology Exhibition are creating platforms that connect academia, international industry experts, global suppliers, and the diaspora with local tech startups and government bodies. Both Estonia and Singapore succeeded because the state built conditions for others to succeed. Syria can also leverage its network of international business chambers to advance public-private dialogues, including understanding the current business sentiment and investor confidence towards Syria. 

Key ideas:

• Improve Syria’s Youth and Entrepreneurs Council by gaining formal recognition and representation from government and universities, to expand beyond the private sector  — modelled on Startup Estonia's governance structure, would provide policy continuity insulated from political transitions. A good example domestically would be the Syria Future Movement in gaining recognition. 
• A Syria Free Innovation Zone in Damascus, with 24-hour company incorporation and a common law-based dispute resolution framework, mirrors the DIFC model in Dubai and provides a credible jurisdiction for international investors. This can be an addition to Syria’s General Organization for Free Zones (GOFZ). 
  • Critically, capital deployed through this ecosystem should flow through licensed private fund managers with full public transparency. A safeguard against the patronage dynamics that have historically undermined similar initiatives in the region. .