Google Opens the Door to Digital Profit for Syrians via ads

update

Till this date 19 September 2025, Google hasn't made its advertisement services available in Syria!

 On August 13, 2025, the American tech company Google announced the resumption of its advertising services in Syria, ending a twenty-year hiatus caused by U.S. sanctions imposed on the Assad regime.

In response to the removal of Syria from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list, Google stated in a brief post on its support site regarding its advertising policy:

In August 2025, Google Ads’ legal requirements policy and the Help Center page on country-specific restrictions will be updated to reflect the removal of Syria from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list.

This change means Syria is no longer listed among the countries sanctioned by OFAC, potentially opening the door for advertisers in Syria to access Google Ads services under new conditions.

In this context, the Arab Advertising Organization (overlooking advertisement activities in Syria) a decision today, August 19, 2025, requiring content creators and bloggers to obtain a license for electronic advertising activity as follows:

 - Submit an application.  

- The application will be reviewed.  

- The license will be granted free of charge.  

 - Advertisers must submit the advertising content to the Organization for approval, also free of charge.

It is noted that Binance, the platform for money transfers and cryptocurrency trading, announced on June 12, 2025, the availability of its services inside Syria following a partial lifting of U.S. sanctions.

Many Syrians on social media expressed mixed feelings—some welcomed the new decision, seeing it as an opportunity to earn income through Google Ads once enabled on their websites within the country, or through other Google services like YouTube. Others voiced concern over the return of ads on YouTube videos, after enjoying twenty years of ad-free viewing! 

Moumin Sawady.