They left Syria as refugees. They’re returning to build its tech industry

Over 2.6 million Syrians live in Turkey as refugees, but for tech workers, it’s still a small world. In 2019, a group of refugees formed a nonprofit, Digital Istanbul, to discuss their careers. It has since grown to 450 members. 

Since the collapse of former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, some of them have turned their focus back to Syria to help rebuild its tech sector. They launched a professional network in Damascus in January to support tech investors and entrepreneurs.

Their efforts are part of a growing movement to establish tech-driven startups and overhaul Syria’s digital infrastructure. In February, the nation hosted its first tech conference in 50 years, aiming to connect Silicon Valley with Syria’s emerging tech industry. The government is planning a 4,500-kilometer (over 2,700 miles) fiber-optic cable network to connect Damascus and Aleppo to neighboring countries. Last month, Saudi Arabia announced plans to help develop Syria’s cybersecurity and telecommunications infrastructure, with deals worth more than $1 billion. 

“Syria is witnessing real momentum towards growth and prosperity,” Mohammad Nidal Al-Shaar, the Syrian minister of economy and industry, said at the summit with the Saudis.

There are challenges: Electricity is in short supply, internet speed is slow, and the vast majority — about 64% — of Syrians are still not online, though that is rapidly changing.  The nation’s telecom infrastructure and tech regulations are outdated.  

An outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria last month is also threatening its fragile peace. “The clashes make things difficult for us and delay the renaissance,” said Mojahed Akil, a tech entrepreneur based in Turkey who is setting up a vacation rental website in Syria.  

Rest of World spoke to Syrian-origin tech workers about why they left their homeland and their future plans. The conversations have been edited for clarity and length. 

Rasheed Hamwi, 41, co-founder of Digital Syria in Istanbul 

I studied computer engineering in the 1990s in Syria, when technology was the new trend.

In 2011, the internet speed in Syria was 4 megabits per second. That was not good if you wanted to run a server. But when the revolution started, that speed was enough to allow the flow of information during demonstrations. I attended anti-government protests and was almost caught by the regime. I managed to escape to Turkey, and I now work on European Union-funded projects to enable Syrian refugees to adopt technology. 

When I returned to the home of my parents in Syria in April this year, I noticed their Wi-Fi password had not changed because they were using the same router. Nobody had offered my father a new internet service in all those years. But the router was working on a battery instead of electricity because of blackouts. 

Baraah Ramadan, 33, web developer in Istanbul

I was born in Abu Kamal in eastern Syria. When I was 12, my father brought an old computer home and I became curious about how this device works and how games are built.

In 2010, I enrolled in an online degree program in information engineering at Syrian Virtual University in Damascus. After the war started, I didn’t even have electricity to charge my laptop. Sometimes, I stayed for two to three weeks without any internet connection. 

In 2019, we moved to Turkey. I was lucky because my university opened a center in Istanbul.

While studying, I managed the Women in Tech initiative for [the nonprofit] Paper Airplanes. We provided free courses to refugee women and taught them coding. I also work as a front-end developer and a Javascript web developer.

I’ll return to Syria. Companies in Syria can’t offer high salaries, but life in Damascus is not as expensive as Istanbul. More importantly, I believe it’s time to give back. 

Mohammed Dayoub, 37, game designer in Istanbul

I have been building video games since 2004, long before modern tools were available. Shortly after we released our first war game, Freedom Conflict, the real war began. People told me, “We already have a real civil war now. We can’t advertise this.”

I moved to Turkey, and in 2016, co-founded Wolves Interactive. Our mobile games have surpassed 250 million downloads worldwide. 

But our games weren’t accessible in Syria and there was no possibility for game development in the country. But things are improving. I’m now working on a Telegram-based game called Don’t Fear the Bear. Telegram is widely used in Syria. The game teaches users how to trade. 

Ragheed Obeid, 25, entrepreneur in Istanbul

During the war, we had electricity for half an hour every day. Many people bought solar panels to access the internet. Video calls were almost impossible. It was very hard to upload your apps on Google Play. GitHub was banned. The one tech company that focused on food deliveries shut down eventually. 

During the war, my family moved to Saudi Arabia. I played chess almost daily on Chess.com to keep my spirits up. After high school, I decided to become a software engineer and went to Turkey in 2018 for studies. 

I am in the last stage of building Dealio,  an app that allows Syrian merchants to display their products online so customers can find the best deals. As soon as Dealio is approved on the Google Play store, my plan is to market it in Damascus. 

Mohammed Alzubi, 21, entrepreneur in Istanbul

I didn’t have a computer when I was a kid in Syria. I came to Turkey in 2014, when I was 11. That’s when I fell in love with technology. During the war years, I mostly played Valorant [a war game] with friends. It really kept my spirits up. I graduated this year with a degree in computer engineering. 

In March, I launched a career platform called JobSeek to improve recruitment for companies returning to Syria. I am also building a digital platform that brings together volunteers, civil society centers, and initiatives to coordinate reconstruction efforts. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to play games anymore.

Mojahed Akil, 35, entrepreneur in Istanbul

I was wanted by Assad’s regime because I was an anti-government protestor. I said, “I’ll move [to Turkey] for maybe one or two months.” I stayed in Turkey for the next 13 years. 

On January 1 this year, I returned to Syria for the first time. I was looking for hotels and houses to stay in. But there is no Airbnb or another app that you can use to find a room to stay. So I launched Halain.net, which means “welcome” in Arabic. It is like an Airbnb for Syria. We have about 200 listings in Damascus and Aleppo. 

We have many challenges, including payments, which are all made in cash. Everything is offline in Syria. 

I’m returning to Syria in July for the Sylicon Summit, a tech conference where I’m a speaker. I’ll also judge a pitching competition for tech startups.