From War Refugee to Tech Visionary: Abdulwahab Omira Returns to Syria
In a nation grappling with the aftermath of a devastating conflict, glimmers of hope are emerging. Among them is the story of Abdulwahab Omira, who fled Syria’s civil war as a teenager, only to return years later as a U.S. citizen, a Stanford graduate student, and a budding entrepreneur with a bold vision for his homeland’s future.
Omira, now 28, and his family escaped the violence in 2012, shortly after he was released from prison. He witnessed firsthand the abuses of the former regime, experiences that left a lasting impact. Now, he’s returned to Syria, seeking innovative ways the tech sector can play a role in rebuilding. Despite the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December, the country continues to face immense challenges. Millions have been displaced, infrastructure is damaged, and basic services remain unreliable.
One sign of progress is a recent tech conference in Damascus, Sync ’25: Silicon Valley + Syria, which brought together hundreds of young Syrians and Syrian-Americans, including Omira. The event provided a platform to explore how technology might help Syria recover.
“Everyone is excited. We want to build. We want to do something for our country,” Omira stated, having taken a break from his artificial intelligence master’s program at Stanford to participate. He acknowledged the daunting obstacles, saying, “There’s no infrastructure, there is no electricity, there is no water, there’s no internet. Showering is an event.”
Omira’s personal resilience, forged through difficult experiences including imprisonment when he was just 14 years old, has shaped his outlook. As a youth, he had proposed a method for handling nuclear waste, for which he received a patent. But before he could be recognized for his achievement, he was arrested by the feared intelligence service.
The security forces, after finding a document related to the nuclear program, imprisoned Omira. He says he was not physically harmed, but the experience was harrowing, and he was warned of dire consequences if arrested again. After two months, his family decided it was time to leave Syria, joining the millions fleeing the escalating civil war.
From a comfortable life in Damascus, the Omira family found themselves in a refugee camp in Turkey. Eventually, they sought refuge in the United States, settling in Chicago in 2016. Facing the challenges of learning a new language and earning a high school equivalency, Omira persevered. He went on to earn a perfect score on the ACT and was admitted to Stanford.
He graduated with a computer science degree and is now working on his master’s, while also managing his tech startup, Farmitix, which aims to help farmers in Syria and elsewhere. This trip back to Syria included meetings with tech students at universities throughout the country.
Challenges and Opportunities in a Rebuilding Syria
Despite the drive and enthusiasm, challenges remain. Daily necessities like electricity and internet access are often unpredictable. U.S. sanctions limit access to critical tools such as ChatGPT, forcing Syrians to rely on alternatives like DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model.
Rama Chakaki, a Syrian-American tech investor from Southern California and organizer of the recent conference, noted the significant impact of the ongoing economic sanctions: “The sanctions now are quite prohibitive. The banking system is disconnected from the rest of the world. And so folks like me can never invest in Syria until these sanctions are lifted.”
Her work at the conference focused on reconnecting with Syria’s tech community. “One thing about Syrians is we’re very socially interconnected,” Chakaki explained. “All of us, having been in the diaspora, feeling very displaced, couldn’t wait for that chance to get together. So my 12,000 connections on LinkedIn worked really well for me.”
During his recent visit to Syria, Omira took time to visit his family’s former home. “I went to my room. I was digging out my memories. And then I found a computer science book that I got in seventh grade,” Omira reminisced. “They were explaining what the internet is, how to use the keyboard, how to turn off the PC.”
From refugee to Stanford student to tech entrepreneur, Omira’s story encapsulates the enduring spirit of the Syrian people. “The U.S. is definitely the land of opportunity. If you put in 100%, you get 100%,” he said. Reflecting on the struggles his homeland faces, he added, “In Turkey, if you put in 100%, you probably will get 10%. Here in Syria, if you put in 100%, you get put in prison.” He remains hopeful, dedicated to writing a new chapter for his country.
NPR’s Jawad Rizkallah contributed to this report.
