Syrian Development Organization
Syrian Development Organization (SDO) is a Damascus-based non-profit founded in 2000 that delivers humanitarian, reconstruction, economic empowerment, legal aid, heritage, and youth programs to vulnerable, displaced, and rural populations across more than ten Syrian governorates through a network of community and youth hubs, funded primarily by international institutional grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersDamascus, Syria
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Syrian Development Organization does
Syrian Development Organization (SDO; منظمة التنمية السورية) is a Damascus-headquartered non-governmental, non-profit development organization founded in 2000 and operating continuously in Syria for 25 years. It delivers a portfolio of nine programs organized under three sectors — Reconstruction, Economic Empowerment, and Community Development — including Youth Hubs, Community Hubs (منارات), Legal Response, the Tech Growth Incubator (Syria's first technology incubator, established 2023 with Damascus University), Living Heritage, Tangible Heritage, Rehabilitation Projects, Production Cooperatives, and Children of Syria. The organization serves vulnerable and displaced populations, youth, legally underserved persons, rural and agricultural communities, and heritage communities across more than ten Syrian governorates through a distributed network of thirteen-plus community and youth hubs, with a headcount of 417 staff.
Underlying delivery infrastructure is community-based rather than technology-based: programs are executed through physical hubs and trained field teams, with no proprietary software platform, API, or AI components disclosed in the input data. The Tech Growth Incubator represents the closest technology product, providing training, mentorship, and operational resources to student entrepreneurs rather than building a software product in-house.
SDO is funded almost entirely through international institutional grants from bilateral donors (Swiss, Italian, Norwegian governments), multilateral agencies (UNDP, UNHCR), international development networks (Aga Khan Development Network, CARE International), and academic and financial-sector partners (Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Damascus University). Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries, with no commercial pricing or revenue model. Strategic positioning rests on UNESCO NGO Partner accreditation (since 2012, renewed 2025), formal MoUs with multiple Syrian ministries and governorates, and a partnership ecosystem that includes some of the most influential development actors operating in Syria.
Syrian Development Organization firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Syrian Development Organization
- Legal name
- Syrian Development Organization (منظمة التنمية السورية)
- Website
- https://syrdev.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Syrian Development Organization (SDO) is a Damascus-based non-profit founded in 2000 that delivers humanitarian, reconstruction, economic empowerment, legal aid, heritage, and youth programs to vulnerable, displaced, and rural populations across more than ten Syrian governorates through a network of community and youth hubs, funded primarily by international institutional grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Syrian Development Organization industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Development Services
- NAICS
- Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)
Keywords
Where Syrian Development Organization is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Damascus
- HQ country
- Syria
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices13 records
Markets served
Syrian Development Organization business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- International Institutional Funding: The organization operates as a non-profit development organization funded primarily through grants and donations from international donors, UN agencies, foreign governments, and development foundations. No commercial revenue generation is described.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Syrian Development Organization product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Syrian Development Organization (SDO) is a non-profit development organization delivering humanitarian, reconstruction, economic empowerment, legal aid, heritage preservation, and youth development programs through a distributed network of community hubs, youth hubs, and specialized centers across Syrian governorates. Services are delivered free of charge to conflict-affected populations, internally displaced persons, returnees, and host communities, in coordination with government ministries, UN agencies, and international partners.
Product overview
Syrian Development Organization (SDO) is a non-profit development organization that has operated for 25 years, offering a portfolio of nine distinct programs organized under three sectors: Reconstruction, Economic Empowerment, and Community Development. The programs include Youth Hubs (vocational training and job placement), Community Hubs (comprehensive community centers), Legal Response (free legal services), Tech Growth Incubator (Syria's first technology incubator established 2023), Living Heritage (intangible cultural heritage), Tangible Heritage (historical site restoration), Rehabilitation Projects (housing and infrastructure), Production Cooperatives (collective economic enterprises), and Children of Syria (psychosocial support). These programs collectively address humanitarian, developmental, legal, cultural, and economic needs across multiple Syrian governorates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Youth Hubs (منارات شباب)
- Legal Response (الاستجابة القانونية) Free, comprehensive legal services for crisis-affected persons delivered by a specialized team across eight Syrian governorates, including legal awareness sessions, individual legal consultations, and legal representation/interventions through a lawyer network.
- Community Hubs (المنارات المجتمعية) Comprehensive community centers providing developmental, educational, and social services tailored to local community needs, with special focus on supporting the most vulnerable populations, offering safe spaces that encourage learning and community participation.
- Tech Growth Incubator (حاضنة نمو التقنية) Syria's first technology incubator, established in 2023 in partnership with Damascus University, supporting young entrepreneurs in building sustainable tech startup companies through advanced training programs, specialized mentorship, technical support, operational resources, and local and international networking.
- Living Heritage (التراث الحي) Intangible cultural heritage protection and preservation program working with heritage-holding communities to transfer skills, revive cultural practices, and link heritage to its social and cultural context locally and internationally, including nomination of Syrian cultural identity elements for UNESCO intangible heritage lists.
- Tangible Heritage (التراث المادي) Restoration and reactivation of historical sites according to international standards, part of broader heritage conservation efforts including restoration of markets in Old Aleppo, Takya al-Sulaimaniyah, and other heritage monuments.
- Rehabilitation Projects (مشاريع إعادة التأهيل) Reconstruction and rehabilitation of housing, infrastructure, and essential services in affected areas, including restoration of homes, schools, health facilities, and heritage sites, with specialized engineering teams ensuring quality execution and sustainable impact.
- Production Cooperatives (التعاونيات الإنتاجية) Economic-social model enabling individuals to work collectively within an organized entity, enhancing productivity and quality with export-ready specifications, supporting group projects in agriculture, crafts, and small industries with partners including the General Union of Farmers and the Aga Khan Foundation.
- Children of Syria (أطفال سوريا) Psychosocial support and social programs for children to build a more balanced generation, providing psychosocial support with methodologies adapted to the Syrian context, life skills development, and training for caregivers and teachers, targeting conflict-affected children and youth.
Quantifiable outcome
- 9,500+ educational activities delivered in one school year across community hubs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Syrian Development Organization
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Syrian Development Organization technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Syrian Development Organization partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Norwegian Embassy in DamascusmajorSDO received a Norwegian delegation led by Hilde Haraldstad, Acting Ambassador, to discuss cooperation on energy sector support (especially renewable energy), healthcare systems development, economic recovery programs, and community stability.
- CARE InternationalcoreSDO and CARE signed an MoU to expand cooperation in livelihood support, economic development, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, legal programs, institutional capacity building, with special focus on women's economic and leadership empowerment.
- Damascus UniversitymajorDamascus University partners with SDO through the Tech Growth Incubator (founded 2023), providing technical, financial, and legal support to student projects. The university provides facilities and academic oversight while SDO contributes operational resources and mentorship.
- Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)coreSDO signed a strategic MoU with AKDN covering infrastructure and rehabilitation, food security, investment and economic development, heritage, and healthcare support. The partnership leverages SDO's field experience and AKDN's international development expertise for sustainable development in Syria.
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreUNDP supports the 'Access to Justice' project implemented by SDO in five governorates (Rural Damascus, Aleppo, Idlib, Homs, Latakia), with funding from Swiss and Italian governments. The project aims to provide legal services, improve judicial infrastructure, and activate community mediation.
- Syrian Development FundmajorSDO and the Syrian Development Fund signed an MoU to enhance institutional integration in development work, unify efforts, establish clear standards for resource management and fair distribution across Syrian regions.
- Hama GovernoratemajorSDO signed an MoU with Hama Governorate to strengthen local development through local resource activation, production cooperative support in agriculture and crafts, investment promotion, and specialized training programs.
- Syrian Ministry of TourismmajorSDO and the Ministry of Tourism signed an MoU to support the tourism sector and preserve Syria's identity, including developing institutional capacity, heritage site management (Takkiyah Sulaymaniyah), cultural tourism marketing, craft support, and sustainable tourism strategies.
- Aleppo GovernoratecoreSDO signed an MoU with Aleppo Governorate to launch joint development projects including economic potential assessments, an industrial entrepreneurship project, training programs, and the 'Smart Aleppo' vision for digital transformation and urban planning.
- Frankfurt School of Finance and ManagementmajorSDO signed an MoU with Frankfurt School to enhance sustainable economic development, develop an inclusive financial system in Syria, and organize joint events, study tours, training programs, and consulting services. Cooperation began with a seminar on 'The Role of the Financial Sector in Syria's Recovery.'
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)coreUNHCR partners with SDO on shelter rehabilitation, legal response programs, humanitarian aid distribution, and operational grant programs. Joint initiatives include shelter packages in Aleppo and Latakia, and legal awareness sessions in displacement centers.
- UNHCR (Syria)coreSDO collaborates with UNHCR on training local associations in proposal writing, providing legal aid, distributing humanitarian aid to displaced families, and implementing shelter rehabilitation projects across Syrian governorates.
- Syrian Ministry of CulturecoreSDO works with the Syrian Ministry of Culture on cultural sector development, heritage preservation, institutional development, and digitization. SDO received the Ministry's 2025-2030 strategic plan and is collaborating on organizational and digital transformation.
- Syrian Ministry of JusticecoreThe Ministry of Justice, under the patronage of the Minister of Justice, partners with SDO on the 'Access to Justice' project as the first strategic project between the Ministry and civil society organizations to provide legal and civic services and improve judicial infrastructure.
- Syrian Ministry of HealthminorMentioned within AKDN partnership scope; SDO and AKDN cooperation includes supporting the health sector and developing medical services and health facilities.
- Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA)majorTİKA participates in the Al-Takiyah Sulaymaniyah restoration project alongside SDO and Syrian ministries, supporting heritage preservation efforts in Hama.
- Damascus GovernoratemajorSDO and Damascus Governorate launched the Development Projects Bank as a strategic tool for managing development projects and connecting them to financing opportunities, enhancing local planning and citizen service quality.
- General Union of Farmers (Syria)majorSDO and the General Union of Farmers signed an MoU to spread agricultural cooperative concepts, develop national strategies for new cooperatives, build individual and group capacities, and introduce modern agricultural technologies.
- Qatar and Jordan (via humanitarian shipments)minorQatar and Jordan provided humanitarian shipments delivered through SDO to displaced families in southern Syria.
- Syrian Government (Official Authorities)coreSDO operates under national coordination frameworks with Syrian government bodies for humanitarian and development responses, including data collection in Al-Hol camp under official oversight.
- Syrian Ministry of Higher EducationmajorThe Minister of Higher Education visited the Tech Growth Incubator and confirmed the ministry's support for converting creative ideas into entrepreneurial projects, enhancing applied scientific research, and focusing on promising tech fields including AI, cybersecurity, smart agriculture, and digital health.
- Al-Qulub Al-Mubsira Center (Blind Hearts Center)minorSDO supports the Al-Qulub Al-Mubsira Center for children, providing psychosocial and educational support to empower children facing adversity.
- Elderly Care Home (Dar Al-Musanin)minorSDO supports the Elderly Care Home (Dar Al-Musanin) in Damascus, providing care and psychosocial support for elderly individuals.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Syrian Development Organization competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Relief International: International NGO with long-standing Syria operations providing humanitarian assistance, WASH, shelter, and education programming. Comparable in its Syria-focused portfolio, multi-donor model, and hub-based service delivery.
- CARE International: Both an SDO partner and direct peer, with long-running Syria programming in livelihoods, women's economic empowerment, and youth. Operates similar grantmaking flows and MoU-based government engagement models.
- Islamic Relief Worldwide: Faith-inspired INGO with substantial Syria programming covering food security, shelter, and livelihoods. Comparable geographic footprint, beneficiary targeting (IDPs, returnees), and donor-funded operating model.
- Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC): Syria's largest humanitarian organization and the primary national auxiliary to government authorities, delivering emergency relief, shelter, and health services across Syrian governorates. Directly comparable to SDO in geographic coverage, beneficiary segments, and coordination with Syrian state authorities.
- Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC): Major displacement-focused INGO active across Syria in shelter, legal aid, education, and livelihoods. Directly comparable to SDO's Legal Response, rehabilitation, and community-development programming and beneficiary overlap.
- International Rescue Committee (IRC): Large INGO delivering emergency relief, health, education, and economic recovery programming across Syrian governorates. Comparable scale, donor base, and humanitarian-development dual mandate.
- Badael Foundation: Independent Syrian civil society organization focused on community-based development, civic engagement, and humanitarian response. Directly comparable in being a Syrian-led NGO with community hub-style programming and Western donor access.
- Mercy Corps: International humanitarian organization with deep Syria footprint in economic recovery, livelihoods, and youth programming. Comparable to SDO's Youth Hubs, Production Cooperatives, and economic empowerment verticals.
Broad incumbents
- UNDP Syria: UN development agency that co-implements the Access to Justice project with SDO and operates as a broader incumbent in Syrian recovery programming, with overlapping focus on livelihoods, governance, and community resilience.
- UNHCR Syria: UN agency for refugees that is both a SDO partner and a broader institutional incumbent in the Syrian humanitarian space, coordinating IDP/refugee response across the same governorates and funding partners like SDO to deliver services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Syrian Development Organization social profiles
Digital presenceSyrian Development Organization compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Syrian Development Organization financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Syrian Development Organization leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Syrian Development Organization funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Syrian Development Organization M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Syrian Development Organization
What does Syrian Development Organization do?
Syrian Development Organization (SDO) is a non-profit development organization delivering humanitarian, reconstruction, economic empowerment, legal aid, heritage preservation, and youth development programs through a distributed network of community hubs, youth hubs, and specialized centers across Syrian governorates. Services are delivered free of charge to conflict-affected populations, internally displaced persons, returnees, and host communities, in coordination with government ministries, UN agencies, and international partners.
Is Syrian Development Organization a public or private company?
Syrian Development Organization is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Syrian Development Organization founded?
Syrian Development Organization was founded in 2000. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Syrian Development Organization based?
Syrian Development Organization is headquartered in Damascus, Syria, in the Middle East region.
How does Syrian Development Organization make money?
One revenue line is on record: international Institutional Funding.
Who are Syrian Development Organization's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Relief International, CARE International, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Badael Foundation and Mercy Corps. Broad incumbents are UNDP Syria and UNHCR Syria.
Does Syrian Development Organization have an API?
No public API is recorded for Syrian Development Organization.
What industry is Syrian Development Organization in?
Syrian Development Organization's product category is Humanitarian Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAEAK, Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming, with a secondary code of BPADAOAC, Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management. Its NAICS code is 8139 and its SIC code is 9721.