Syria and Saudi Arabia Seal Defence Pact and $403m Loan Package
President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed agreements on energy, housing, and defense during a second high-level meeting in Riyadh within a month.
By Trevor Wilson ·
Syria and Saudi Arabia have formalized a new security partnership, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signing a defense cooperation agreement on Wednesday. The deal marks a deepening of military ties between the two nations just days after Damascus signaled it is considering joining a regional mutual defense pact.
The financial component of the visit includes $403 million in concessional loans from the Saudi Fund for Development. The funds are allocated across six distinct agreements with the Syrian Finance Ministry to support critical reconstruction efforts in the energy, housing, health, and infrastructure sectors.
Specific allocations include $100 million for rebuilding and equipping damaged healthcare facilities and $60 million for repairing damaged housing. An additional $105 million is designated to strengthen civil defense capabilities, while $90 million will be used to rehabilitate the Aleppo thermal power plant. Another $30 million is set aside for developing drinking water systems in Damascus and Idlib.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani confirmed that his government is evaluating entry into the Mecca alliance, a mutual defense pact involving Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan. Speaking at the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain on Saturday, al-Shaibani stated that discussions are currently under way to assess Syria's potential role in the arrangement.
The two leaders also addressed regional stability during their talks in Riyadh. A joint statement noted that they discussed the effects of military escalation on regional security, the safety of international shipping, and the reliability of energy supplies. The statement highlighted the impact of the renewed war against the Houthis in Yemen, a conflict that has included attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities.
Al-Sharaa and Mohammed called for de-escalation and the peaceful resolution of disputes. They urged an immediate cessation of all actions that threaten the security of maritime navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb strait, and the Strait of Hormuz. The leaders also signed memorandums of understanding on industrial cooperation, agriculture, and environmental protection.
This meeting represents the second time the two leaders have gathered in Riyadh in less than a month. They previously met on October 6 to discuss plans for Syria's reconstruction, including the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure and essential facilities since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Source: Al Jazeera
