Saudi Arabia and Syria Deepen Bilateral Ties with Military and Financial Agreements
Saudi Arabia and Syria are deepening their bilateral relations, marked by the signing of a military cooperation agreement and significant financial aid. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Riyadh, meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the second time in a month. While details of the military agreement remain undisclosed, Reuters previously reported that Syria was considering assisting Saudi Arabia in its conflict against the Iran-backed Houthis. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also indicated that Damascus is considering joining the Mecca Pact, an agreement involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, with Egypt expressing interest. Concurrently, the Saudi Fund for Development signed six agreements with the Syrian Finance Ministry, providing over $403 million in concessional development loans. This funding includes $100 million for healthcare facilities, $90 million for Aleppo's thermal power plant, $60 million for housing repair, and $105 million for civil defense. These a...
