Details of facility unclear
Saudi Arabian telco Go has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Syrian Ministry of Communications and Technology.
The agreement, which is not legally enforceable, was signed on May 31.
Go, otherwise known as the Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications Company, intends to support digital infrastructure in Syria by helping to provide a national data center, enhance digital government services, promote AI and IoT adoption, and develop cloud computing services.
Minister Abdul Salam Heikal and the CEO of Go, Yahya bin Saleh Al Mansour, were in attendance.
Until recently, Syria was embroiled in a civil war. The overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 has broadly ended hostilities within the country, but tensions in southern Syria with Israeli forces and the Druze ethnic minority have led to continued violence.
The civil war has also affected Syria's infrastructure. In 2024, more than 50 percent of Syria's electrical grid was incapacitated due to the destruction of electrical infrastructure and transmission lines, and gas and fuel shortages prevented power plants from operating. Electricity availability was also significantly affected.
The country also regularly suffered from Internet connectivity issues during the course of the war.
Since the transitional government headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa has come to power, Saudi Arabia has become one of the new regime’s strongest backers, making several financial commitments to the reconstruction of the country to the tune of $6.4bn.
US sanctions on Syria were fully lifted in June as part of a broader global initiative to reintegrate the country into the global economy.
