SAICالعربية
01Who we are

Who are we?

A youth-led initiative driven by a passion for knowledge and a desire to make a real difference.

The Syrian AI Community brings students, developers and AI enthusiasts together with experienced practitioners and trainers in a collaborative space that encourages learning, exchanging experiences, developing skills, and working on practical applications and projects.

We want to make learning AI closer and more accessible to Syrian youth, turning interest in this fast-moving field into clear learning paths and hands-on experiences that help participants build their abilities and confidence in their skills.

A space that learns and teaches

We do not see the community as merely a provider of workshops or training camps. It is an environment that learns and teaches at the same time, where learners find room to grow and trainers find a space to share knowledge and experience and make an impact that reaches beyond the training room.

One space that brings together

  • Students and graduates
  • Developers
  • AI enthusiasts
  • Experts and trainers
02Origin story

A community born out of need

The idea grew out of a tangible need felt by a wide segment of Syrian youth.

On one side

A growing passion for modern technology

Wide interest among young people in artificial intelligence and its ever-evolving tools.

On the other

Unequal access to

Hands-on training · mentoring · exposure to the professional experience a fast-moving job market demands.

Given the gap between the opportunities and resources available locally and the requirements and practices of the job market outside Syria, a conviction took shape: closing this gap starts with building people and empowering them with knowledge, skill and experience.

That is where the Syrian AI Community comes from: an initiative started by young people, working for young people, that builds bridges of knowledge and experience and connects what students learn at university with what they need to build real projects and take part in professional work environments.

Our core idea

Geography and limited opportunities should never stand in the way of young people’s ambition. We bring knowledge and practical experience closer to everyone with the desire and readiness to learn and to give.

03Vision and mission

Where we are heading, and how

Our vision

To be an active Syrian community that empowers a generation of learners, developers and trainers who can keep pace with AI, contribute valuable solutions, and compete with their skills in the local and global job market.

Our mission

To provide a motivating, inclusive community environment for exchanging knowledge and experience in artificial intelligence, through:

  • Workshops
  • Training camps
  • Hands-on activities
  • Peer collaboration

So that we can

1

Develop technical and professional skills

2

Support trainers who want to share their experience

3

Gradually narrow the gap between education and job-market needs

04Our goals

Seven goals that guide everything we do

1

Empower youth with knowledge and skills

Help students and developers understand modern AI techniques and apply them with confidence and competence.

2

Narrow the gap between learning and the job market

Focus on skills that are needed in practice, engineering ways of working, and projects that can be extended and presented.

3

Provide hands-on learning opportunities

Organize workshops, camps and activities that move participants from theory to practice and problem solving.

4

Welcome trainers and shared experience

Open a space for people with knowledge and experience who want to pass it on, and support a culture of peer teaching and knowledge volunteering.

5

Build a professional and community network

Connect students with developers, trainers and experts, and encourage collaboration and the exchange of opportunities and experience.

6

Encourage innovation and initiative

Motivate participants to develop ideas and projects that address real needs and create value for society.

7

Promote lifelong learning

Build a culture that keeps up with the rapid pace of AI and sees learning as a shared journey that does not end when a course does.

05How we reach our goals

Five work tracks that carry knowledge from the classroom into practice

01

Technical workshops

Focused training sessions to discover new concepts and tools, discuss them and try them hands-on, with room for dialogue, questions, and learning from different experiences.

02

Hands-on training camps

More structured and in-depth learning paths that combine theoretical foundations, practical application and projects, building skills step by step.

03

Sharing experience

A platform for specialists, trainers and practitioners to pass on their practical experience, including challenges, mistakes and lessons learned, bringing knowledge closer to professional reality.

04

Collaborative learning and project building

Working in teams, reviewing solutions, exchanging feedback, and developing models and applications that can be presented and counted as tangible experience.

05 · Connecting and building bridges

Strengthening ties between people interested in AI inside and outside Syria, and drawing on diverse experience to widen learners’ horizons and bring them closer to broader professional practices and standards.

06Who we serve

Who do we work for?

The groups we serve and the value we aim to bring to each of them.

GroupThe value we aim to deliver
Students and graduates

Learning and practice paths that support the move from study to professional practice.

Developers and tech enthusiasts

Opportunities to grow skills and explore the fields and applications of AI.

Trainers and experts

A community platform to share knowledge, grow as a trainer, and make a tangible impact.

Volunteers and contributors

A space for initiative, teamwork, and contributing to the community.

Partner organizations and initiatives

Opportunities to collaborate on educational activities and capacity-building projects.

We welcome different backgrounds and experiences and see their diversity as a source of richness and innovation. There is room in the community for everyone with the desire and readiness to learn and to give.

07Our values

The principles that shape how we work

Open access to knowledge

The chance to learn and grow should be wider and closer to everyone.

Community spirit

We move forward by helping one another, and we celebrate individual success as a shared success.

Practice over theory alone

We tie what we learn to real problems, projects and experiences.

Sharing and giving

We value the time and expertise of trainers and volunteers, and encourage passing knowledge on.

Quality and responsibility

We care about accurate content, clear expectations, and the conscious, responsible use of technology.

Diversity and collaboration

We welcome different backgrounds and experiences and see them as a source of richness and innovation.

Lifelong learning

We treat technological change as an ongoing opportunity to experiment and renew.

08The team

The people behind the community

Founders, trainers and volunteers working together to bring knowledge and experience closer to Syrian youth.

Trainers

Eight engineers and experts working at local and international companies.

Eng. Ibrahim Alobaid

AI engineer, AI team lead and project manager at Cardiac Rhythm in the United States. Has worked with local and international companies.

linkedin.com/in/ibrahimalobaid44

Eng. Osama Abou Hajar

Software engineer at Microsoft; previously worked on 5G network software at Ericsson. Holds a master’s degree in AI and founded the GitSyria initiative.

linkedin.com/in/oabouhajar

Eng. Mohammad Zayn Mahrouseh

AI engineer and AI team lead at DAWMT in Bahrain, with three years of experience at international companies.

linkedin.com/in/zayn-mahrouseh

Eng. Mohammad Ghazal Kassas

AI engineer at Amani AI, specializing in natural language processing, intelligent systems and AI agents.

linkedin.com/in/mohammad-ghazal-kassas

Eng. Yassin Abdulmahdi

Lead AI Engineer at BeSmart.ai and lecturer at Al-Sham Private University (ASPU).

linkedin.com/in/yassin-abdulmahdi

Eng. Saad Shahrour

Founder of Pactonic AI, CTO of Karriya AI in Sweden, and Head of AI at Capital Zone in Portugal.

linkedin.com/in/saad-shahrour

Eng. Saad Shayah

Software engineer at Basira Foundation, specializing in version control systems and software product management.

linkedin.com/in/saad-shayah

Eng. Hussain Saoud

Software and AI engineer and technical mentor at FICEP ME, combining data-driven innovation with enabling technical teams to build advanced software solutions.

linkedin.com/in/hussain-saoud

The founders and the volunteer teams (logistics, media and relations) will be added in the next phase.

09Impact and invitation

The impact we aim for

We measure success by more than the number of sessions or attendees. Real impact shows when:

  • Learning
  • becomes a skill
  • becomes a project
  • becomes an opportunity to grow and contribute

We hope the community’s work leads to

  • Young people with greater confidence in their technical and practical abilities.
  • Projects and experiences that reflect applicable learning.
  • Trainers who find a space to develop their message and pass on their experience.
  • Lasting collaboration between learners and experts.
  • A gradual convergence between learning outcomes and the demands of AI work.

An invitation to take part

The Syrian AI Community has room for you to learn, contribute and leave a mark, whether you are:

  • A student starting out
  • A developer deepening your expertise
  • A trainer with an experience worth sharing
  • A volunteer who believes in education and collaboration

We believe a better future for technology in Syria does not begin with a single individual step, but with a community that shares knowledge, creates opportunities, and opens the way for those who come next.

Join us