23 Start-Up Projects Go on Display at Homs Entrepreneurship Exhibition

Twenty-three start-up projects went on display in Homs on Saturday, as the Al-Azm Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Development opened its Ahl al-Azm Exhibition at its headquarters in the city. The two-day event, running through Sunday, gives young entrepreneurs a platform to showcase ideas, products and services — and, more concretely, to meet potential customers face to face.

The projects span three broad clusters: handicrafts, smart technological solutions, and specialized services. The stated goals are equally practical — create marketing opportunities, promote public interaction, and push more young Syrians to launch and grow businesses of their own.

Who is behind the exhibition?

Nihad al-Droubi, director of the foundation's business incubator, told SANA the exhibition seeks to support young entrepreneurs and start-up owners while highlighting the role of small businesses in strengthening the economy. It also helps founders acquire the skills and experience needed to develop and expand their projects.

The foundation's support doesn't stop at exhibition tables. Its business incubation program provides consultations, training and networking opportunities, al-Droubi said.

One number stands out: the exhibition has already given more than five start-ups a launch opportunity by offering an affordable, low-risk environment to test ideas, assess market needs and engage directly with customers. That's the incubator model doing what trade fairs rarely manage — turning display space into a proving ground.

What are the founders building?

Two participants illustrate the range on show.

Iyad Khattab started his project roughly a year ago as a platform offering specialized medical training courses in Homs. Since then it has expanded into technology, education, business administration and project management, and now attracts trainers and lecturers from Syria and abroad.

Khattab's next move is the most ambitious item at the fair: his team is developing a national online learning platform in Arabic, one that would let trainers and universities publish courses and educational content without relying on foreign platforms. If it lands, it targets a dependency — Arabic-language e-learning on outside infrastructure — rather than a niche.

Engineer Issam al-Jisri presented a different bet: an electronic employee attendance and departure system accessible through mobile phones. The system uses location tracking to verify employees' presence within designated workplaces, documents attendance through personal photographs, and sends management notifications when employees check in and out.

Al-Jisri said the exhibition gives him a chance to introduce the project to companies, institutions and business owners — the exact audience that could adopt such a system in both the public and private sectors.

How did visitors respond?

Visitor Roua Kharsan highlighted the diversity of projects, products and services on display, particularly digital services and emerging technological ideas. She stressed the importance of holding such events in Homs to support youth-led businesses and give entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their work and reach wider audiences.

That local dimension matters. Homs is not Damascus, and a visitor singling out the city's role suggests demand for more such events outside the capital's usual circuits.

Why it matters

The exhibition forms part of broader efforts to foster an environment conducive to the growth of small businesses and start-ups, and to strengthen young people's participation in economic activity by connecting entrepreneurs with available opportunities.

The test comes after Sunday. A five-plus start-up launch count, an Arabic e-learning platform in development, and an attendance system shopping for public- and private-sector adopters are early signals — whether they convert into scaled businesses will depend on what the incubator's consultations, training and networking deliver once the stands come down.