Enab Baladi, Noura Qassem
Syria’s Ministry of Local Administration and Environment says its planned digital land registry will allow Syrians to obtain property documents without visiting government offices and help simplify procedures involving jointly owned properties and inheritance certificates.
Addressing the rights of those who lost their documents during the war, however, remains a more complex process that could require years of legislative and legal work.
Digitization Project
Ghazi Turkmani, head of the ministry’s Projects and Financing Department, told Enab Baladi that work to digitize land registry services is underway in Damascus, Aleppo (northern Syria), Raqqa (northeastern Syria), Hama (central Syria), and Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria), with international support. The aim is to move from paper transactions to a secure, sustainable digital system.
Turkmani expects most individual property records to be digitized by the end of March or April 2027.
He pointed to the scale of the work, noting that Aleppo governorate alone holds around 1.5 million paper records, which he said have a lifespan of 100 years.
According to Turkmani, digitizing land registry services is among the ministry’s top priorities under its digital transformation plan, with the ultimate goal of establishing a digital land registry.
The project would help simplify procedures involving jointly owned properties, known locally as shuyu, or undivided ownership, and inheritance certificates, Turkmani said. These procedures require identifying all owners of a property and involve complex steps and details.
What About Lost Property Deeds?
The digitization process does not, however, address the circumstances of people who lost documents proving their property ownership during the war. According to Turkmani, this issue requires a separate legal and legislative process.
Turkmani said the ministry is studying a project funded by the German development agency GIZ and Germany’s KfW Development Bank to address property ownership claims by people who lost their house deeds and supporting documents during the war.
He added that addressing the issue requires an in-depth study and a legislative and legal framework, and could take years because of the complexity of ownership claims and the overlapping rights involved.
Paperless Transactions
The digitization plan extends beyond property records. According to Turkmani, the ministry has signed a contract with the Saudi company EjadTech to digitize its internal administrative work and gradually phase out traditional paper documents.
Turkmani said an online portal would soon be launched, allowing users to obtain official documents related to the ministry’s work digitally.
The project’s first pilot is scheduled to begin in Aleppo to test and develop the system before it is gradually rolled out across the remaining governorates.
A complete transition from paper transactions to a digital environment requires time and specialized expertise, Turkmani said, noting that the ministry is drawing on the experiences of countries that preceded Syria in this field, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Investment in Waste Recycling
Alongside digital transformation, the ministry is working to support the private sector and attract investment, particularly in waste recycling, by removing legislative obstacles facing companies interested in processing waste into fertilizers and other products.
Turkmani believes developing the private sector would help improve the trade balance and attract foreign currency. He said the new public cleanliness bill is ready to be presented to the People’s Assembly and includes exemptions and measures to facilitate investment.
Turkmani cited Morocco’s experience as a model Syria could draw on, saying it had moved from an initial $6 million in government funding to $300 million in private financing.
Two Tracks for Ministry Projects
According to Turkmani, the ministry’s projects fall into two main tracks. The first covers local administration projects, including urban planning, rehabilitating municipal infrastructure, and repairing homes damaged during the war, with priority given to Aleppo and Damascus countryside in cooperation with KfW Development Bank.
The second covers environmental projects supported by international funds, including the Green Climate Fund.
As part of this work, Syria has secured a $27 million project in partnership with ACTED to strengthen water security in Douma (Damascus countryside, southwestern Syria).