A Historic Moment for Syria
Last week, Anas Daaboul watched something he never thought he'd see: a Syrian president walking into the White House for the first time in decades. He reflected on how in the streets of Damascus that night, people celebrated as news spread that economic sanctions (barriers that had isolated Syria from the global economy for over 15 years) could finally be lifted.
Navigating Barriers Most Developers Never Face
For Anas, a 23-year-old AI developer, the moment felt personal. He had spent two years searching for a full-time job, navigating obstacles that most developers never face. Throughout college, Anas survived on freelance PHP Laravel projects that paid $150-200 USD a month—barely a fraction of the $1,000 a Syrian family needs for basic expenses. But the modest income wasn't his only challenge.
Syria had been cut off from the global tech ecosystem. AWS wasn't accessible. GitHub was blocked. Meta services were unavailable. The tools that developers worldwide take for granted—the platforms where they build portfolios, contribute to open source, and develop competitive skills—were simply out of reach. Beyond the technical barriers, Syrian developers faced stigma and risk simply because of where they were from. "It is very, very hard," Anas explained. "Most countries don't like to hire people from Syria."
Finding Subul: A Turning Point
When Anas discovered Subul last July, something shifted. Through Subul's partnership with Attentive, he applied for a Support Engineer position. With each interview round, his excitement grew. This role is centered on logic and problem-solving to tackle complex technical challenges every day.
"I used to sit in the corner of the development world, only interested in coding," Anas reflected. "But now I've opened my eyes. There are so many opportunities I can pursue."
A Country Opening Up
The timing of Anas's career breakthrough mirrors a broader transformation. Western governments are now outlining investment plans for Syria. Major platforms are returning: Meta services are back online, GitHub is accessible again, and more companies are entering the market each day.
"We were closed in on ourselves for more than 15 years, but now we are opening up," Anas said. "Everything is getting better."
The Promise of Syrian Tech Talent
Despite years of isolation and hardship, Anas is optimistic about what Syrian developers can contribute. Not only have they learned to progress their skillsets in spite of the immense barriers under sanctions, but they are committed to innovation and hard-work. "Syrian people love to work. You don't see any Syrian people who want to sit at home—we just want to work."
Building Toward the Future
"I am very thankful for Subul. I spent two years looking for a job. I hope to continue growing with them, and to keep building toward the future we are creating here."
This future that we can see clearly, where one where talent and determination can overcome borders and barriers, is the one Anas and thousands of Syrian developers are working to build.
