The Saudi Industrial Export Company (SADIRAT) announced on March 9 the signing of a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Global Tronics to cooperate and form a partnership in a project to supply smart electricity meters to Syria.
According to a statement by the Saudi Industrial Export Company on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), the memorandum stipulates conducting a feasibility study to form a consortium, determine the roles of the consortium’s parties, and identify financing mechanisms for a project to supply and implement single-phase and three-phase smart electricity meters in Syria.
The memorandum takes effect from the date of signing and will remain valid for 12 months, with the possibility of extending or renewing the period by mutual agreement between the two parties.
The Saudi company noted that the entity with which it signed the memorandum includes both Global Tronics and Significa.
The statement added that there is currently no financial impact resulting from signing the memorandum, and that any material financial impact will be disclosed if future agreements or contracts are concluded.
Expected economic gains
In remarks to Enab Baladi, Mohamad Bakr, a member of the Syrian Society for Economic Sciences, highlighted several observations that raise questions about the potential economic gains expected from implementing the memorandum.
Bakr first noted that no official statement has been issued by the Syrian Ministry of Energy or any Syrian government body confirming or denying the news related to the memorandum.
He emphasized that the memorandum signed between the Saudi company SADIRAT and the companies Global Tronics and Significa is non-binding, similar to many memoranda signed with other parties that were never implemented.
Bakr added that the international tender for the smart meter project had closed last February with the participation of 45 companies from various nationalities, yet its results have not been announced nor has it been officially canceled.
On the other hand, Bakr pointed out that the memorandum includes conducting a feasibility study to form a consortium among the mentioned companies to supply and implement smart meters in Syria.
However, he stressed that there is no information indicating that the Syrian side has reached an agreement or awarded the tender to any of these companies.
Deteriorated infrastructure
Regarding the infrastructure of Syria’s electricity networks, Bakr said the current situation suffers from major deterioration and does not meet the requirements needed to install a smart meter system.
He explained that the project requires integrated preparations, including electricity networks, fiber-optic communication networks, and a fifth-generation (5G) internet network.
He also noted the need to adopt electronic payment through bank accounts rather than relying on local payment companies such as Sham Cash and Syriatel Cash.
Ensuring the success of the smart meter project
Mohamad Bakr explained that the most important step needed to ensure the success of the smart meter project and maximize its benefit for the Syrian economy is to avoid publicity-driven announcements of agreements that will not be implemented.
According to Bakr, any project has basic requirements before implementation, such as financing and infrastructure.
He also stressed the importance of broader participation by experienced professionals who possess valuable knowledge that can reduce time and effort and help move the project toward actual implementation.
Bakr noted that some decision-makers lacking the necessary technical background have intervened in the project, which he said is evident in the administrative confusion surrounding the smart meter tender.
This confusion appeared through announcing the tender, extending it, modifying it, canceling it, and then announcing it again, followed by a phase of reviewing and opening bids. Now, some companies are speaking as if the tender has already been awarded, according to Bakr.
Technical challenges
Bakr also highlighted several technical challenges, including:
The electricity network, which requires rehabilitation and resolving technical network loss issues. The telecommunications network, which does not cover many destroyed areas, still relies on copper cable networks that significantly limit efficiency and are unsuitable for smart meters. The internet network, which does not cover the entire Syrian territory, suffers from instability in coverage across the country. Electronic payment systems, where licensed banks have been excluded, while companies that charge commissions and suffer from technical weaknesses in their applications have been allowed to operate.Bakr concluded that the project is massive and requires financing and cooperation between more than one company to implement it with high quality and fully benefit from installing smart meters.
Installing smart meters starting in August
Earlier, the Director of the General Establishment for Electricity Transmission and Distribution, Khaled Abu Dai, said the institution will begin installing smart meters at the start of next August as part of a three-year program.
He explained that during the past year, a plan was prepared to secure the meters, along with a comprehensive technical study developed by a specialized team that included Syrian engineers from inside and outside the country.
Abu Dai added that about 1.2 million subscribers still do not have electricity meters, confirming that initial batches have arrived and will be distributed to companies to begin installation, to cover most subscribers by the end of next year.
Administrative confusion in the smart meter tender
In late 2025, the General Establishment for Electricity Transmission and Distribution announced a large tender to supply six million single-phase smart meters and 500,000 three-phase meters, with an estimated value exceeding half a billion US dollars.
The tender could have represented a strategic step toward modernizing the electricity sector, improving bill collection, reducing losses, and attracting the interest of many local and international companies.
However, the tender witnessed a series of sudden amendments and cancellations that raised questions about the seriousness of the project and the reasons behind repeated delays.
The closing deadlines were repeatedly modified before the tender was ultimately canceled on January 7, 2026.
Despite promises to relaunch the tender later under new conditions, the institution reannounced it under a new number (1/2026) through a fast-track procedure, setting a short closing deadline of no more than one month.
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