Syria’s government is in talks with regional telecoms companies Zain, Etisalat, STC and Ooredoo for a roughly $300 million project to develop the country’s fibre optic communications network, a senior Syrian official and a second official said.
The talks with the Gulf Arab companies are part of growing global investor interest in Syria’s economy following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement last month that Washington would lift Syria sanctions.
The Syrian project, dubbed SilkLink, aims to rapidly overhaul outdated communications infrastructure and set the country up as a potential “north-south and west-east digital corridor,” the telecommunications ministry said.
Saudi Arabia’s STC declined to comment. Qatar’s Ooreedo, the UAE’s Etisalat and Kuwait’s Zain did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The deadline to submit proposals for the project is June 10.
The two officials declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the talks.
After 14 years of civil war and decades of Western sanctions, Syria’s infrastructure shortfalls include some of the world’s worst internet connectivity. It means many users are forced to use costly mobile data instead of a wireless connection to get basic tasks done online.
Syria’s new rulers aim to make rapid progress in improving public services almost six months after they ousted former strongman Bashar al-Assad.
Their efforts have included signing last week a $7 billion power memorandum of understanding with a consortium of companies led by Qatar’s UCC Holding to develop 5,000 megawatts of electricity.
Syria also signed an $800 million MOU in May with DP World to develop Tartous port, two weeks after signing a 30-year deal with French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM that includes building a new berth at Latakia port. Reuters