Dubai’s e-commerce playbook aims to boost Syrian market

A Syrian entrepreneur, Rami Kaiem, is using Dubai’s e-commerce success to launch a platform called My Syria aimed at reopening the Syrian market for international card payments. Kaiem and his co-founders are replicating the UAE’s bundled services, one-tap payments and cashless transactions that have driven Dubai’s growth. My Syria, which launched in Damascus earlier this month, is the first platform to handle cross-border digital payments in Syria, filling the void left by international card networks that abandoned the country for 14 years.

The app has already attracted 12,000 active users in its first 15 days, processing Visa and Mastercard payments. Kaiem credits Dubai’s advanced technology, e-commerce, infrastructure and logistics for their success and is now applying that knowledge to Syria. The UAE and Syria recently signed a business forum, with Gulf investors pouring $28 billion into the Syrian economy in 2025.

My Syria currently offers eight services, including car rentals, hotel bookings and holiday home rentals, with plans to expand to 40 services across the country. The platform aims to bridge the digital payment gap in Syria, which has been cut off from the global financial system due to sanctions.