The Media Line: US Funds $3 Million in Projects To Digitize Syria’s Business and Property Records

By Rizik Alabi / The Media Line

[DAMASCUS] Syria has launched a $1 million US-funded project to digitize company registration and more than 5 million commercial documents, with plans to connect government offices across all 14 governorates and simplify procedures for businesses.

The initiative, announced Sunday, November 1, is part of a broader effort to modernize government services and attract investment as the country rebuilds after years of war.

The project, funded by the US State Department and implemented in cooperation with Syria’s Ministry of Industry, Internal Trade and Consumer Protection and the US-based international development organization Creative Associates International, is scheduled to take six months.

The ministry’s media office told The Media Line that approximately 500,000 investors and companies are expected to benefit from the initiative, which will also include training government employees to operate and maintain the new digital systems.

According to the ministry, the project involves establishing a modern data center, digitizing more than 5 million historical commercial documents, and connecting 14 ministry directorates across Syria’s governorates to a centralized system.

A planned online platform will allow Syrian and foreign investors to register companies and commercial agencies, submit applications, and monitor their progress remotely, reducing reliance on paper documents and visits to government offices.

Speaking at the launch ceremony in Damascus, Minister of Industry, Internal Trade and Consumer Protection Basel Abdul Hannan described the project as a step toward improving the business environment and simplifying administrative procedures. He said the initiative would also strengthen transparency, cybersecurity, and government efficiency.

Mohammad Hmeish, a representative of Creative Associates International in Syria, said the project forms part of the US State Department-funded Governance and Economic Recovery Program, which supports the modernization of government institutions and economic services.

The commercial-registration initiative was followed Monday, November 2, by a separate $2 million US-funded agreement to digitize Syria’s property records.

Under that agreement, the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment will work with Creative Associates International to establish five electronic archiving centers serving Damascus, Aleppo, Deir Ezzor, Hama, and Raqqa governorates, along with a central data facility in Damascus.

The project will also provide equipment and technical training to employees responsible for maintaining property records, with the aim of preserving ownership documents, improving access to information, and supporting future property transactions.

The preservation of property records is particularly important in Syria, where years of conflict, displacement, and damage to government infrastructure have complicated efforts to document ownership and resolve property disputes.

Together, the two projects represent $3 million in announced US funding for the modernization of Syria’s commercial and property-registration systems.

The initiatives also reflect growing US-Syrian cooperation on civilian institution-building, with Washington supporting programs intended to strengthen government administration, improve the investment climate, and facilitate economic recovery.

Officials expect the new systems to reduce processing times, improve access to records, and make administrative procedures more transparent. Their effectiveness will depend on completing the planned infrastructure, training personnel, and ensuring that digitized documents remain accurate, secure, and accessible.

For businesses and property owners, the practical test will be whether transactions that currently require paper records and visits to government offices can eventually be completed through reliable electronic systems.