Gulf telcos compete for fiber optic project in Syria: Report

The Syrian government is negotiating with Zain, e& (formerly Etisalat), stc, and Ooredoo over a $300 million project to upgrade the fiber optic network, according to a high-ranking Syrian official and another informed source.

The discussions with these Gulf-based companies come amid a surge in global investor interest in Syria’s economy, following last month’s announcement by US President Donald Trump to lift sanctions on Syria.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology stated that the Syrian project aims to rapidly modernize Syria's aging telecommunications infrastructure, while positioning the country as a strategic digital corridor connecting regions from north to south and west to east.

stc declined to comment, while Ooredoo, e&, and Zain did not respond to Reuters' inquiries.

The deadline for submitting project proposals is set for June 10.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing negotiations.