Economy Ministry simplifies company formation through e-services

Syria's Ministry of Economy and Industry said it is working to develop and simplify company formation procedures by moving to e-services and cutting traditional in-person visits. According to the ministry, this lets investors and business owners complete their transactions with less time and effort, and supports a better business environment and the launch of economic projects.

Mohammad Allaq, director of the Companies Directorate at the General Administration of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, told SANA that the directorate is seeing strong demand for registration of local and foreign companies. He said it receives applications from 30 to 50 companies every day, including visits to complete paperwork, fix missing documents or have a partner attend in person. He added that Arab and foreign investors can register branches of their foreign companies in Syria, or register non-exclusive agencies to carry out the work of companies abroad.

Imama Mohammad, head of company affairs follow-up at the directorate, said the services cover the formation of capital companies in their various legal forms, including limited liability companies, single-person limited liability companies, private and public joint-stock companies, and holding companies. She said the directorate's work continues after a company is registered in the commercial register, covering amendments such as name changes, changes to company objectives and registration of transfers.

Batoul Labbad, an auditor in the Companies Department, explained that online formation begins with the principal or their agent visiting the department to set up an account for the applicant and the partners. After that, the required data can be submitted through the online platform from the office, home or anywhere else. The application then moves to online review and audit stages, and its status appears on the platform.

Husam al-Yousef, head of the Companies Department, said the new system comes with pressure on the directorate and some difficulties linked to the newness of the experience and some users' unfamiliarity with the platform. He said incomplete or inaccurate information in some applications may delay them for a limited period. According to al-Yousef, once procedures stabilize, applicants will only need to attend in person at specific stages, including opening an account and verifying identity by fingerprint or signing applications.

The General Administration of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection launched the company formation service through its online portal on 7 July 2026, as part of the digital transformation and government automation program.