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

A Syrian entrepreneur, Rami Kaiem, is leveraging Dubai's e-commerce success to launch a similar platform in Syria. Kaiem, co-founder of My Syria, an app combining services like hotel bookings, car rentals, and tourist experiences, believes the UAE's model of bundled services, one-tap payments, and cashless transactions can help revitalize Syria's digital market.

My Syria, launched in Damascus, is the first platform in the country to process cross-border digital payments, a significant step given the country's longstanding exclusion from international card networks. The app has already attracted 12,000 active users within its first 15 days. Kaiem credits Dubai's technological prowess, e-commerce infrastructure, and logistics network for his success, and he aims to replicate this in Syria, where digital banking infrastructure is still in its infancy.

The UAE's growing engagement with Syria, including the recent removal of Syria from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, signals a potential shift towards re-establishing international financial ties. This could pave the way for foreign investors and international banking institutions to re-enter Syria's economy. My Syria's founders are optimistic that by addressing the remaining gaps in digital payment infrastructure, they can transform the app into a digital gateway for a country eager to showcase its reopening to foreign tourists and investors.