Saudi Telecom Company (stc) announced on Sunday the award of a 3 billion Saudi riyals ($800 million) telecommunications infrastructure project in the Syria, following a competitive tender process.

The project, known as Silklink, will be implemented in partnership with the Syrian Sovereign Fund, with stc holding a 75 percent equity stake and the fund owning the remaining 25 percent, the company said in a stock exchange statement.

The statement said Silklink aims to significantly upgrade Syria’s telecommunications backbone through the deployment of a fibre-optic network extending more than 4,500 kilometres, alongside the development of data centres and international submarine cable landing stations.

The project will contribute to providing high data transfer capacities and improved network reliability, enabling telecom operators in Syria and the region to offer advanced communication services, support digital applications, cloud services, and the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as improve internet quality and enhance the efficiency of Syria’s digital infrastructure.

stc said the new infrastructure will strengthen Syria’s regional and international connectivity by linking the country to major digital corridors across the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

stc did not disclose a construction timeline or delivery milestones for the project.

(Writing by Dennis Daniel; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.