Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presided over the signing of several major agreements, including a defence cooperation agreement and more than $403 million in concessional loans from Saudi Arabia to develop Syria’s energy, housing, health and infrastructure sectors.
The signing ceremony took place yesterday, Wednesday, during al-Sharaa’s second visit to Riyadh in less than a month.
The defence agreement came just days after Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said his government was exploring and assessing the possibility of joining a mutual-defence pact among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
The cooperation also comes as Saudi Arabia seeks military assistance from the United States and countries in Europe and the Middle East in its war against Yemen’s Houthi group, which has launched heavy attacks on Saudi airports and oil infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia has become a major strategic supporter of Syria’s government since al-Sharaa came to power following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
By: Rithy
