Syria, Saudi Arabia sign defence cooperation deal, agree $403m in loans

Defence practice woody signed arsenic Syria’s President al-Sharaa visits Riyadh for the 2nd clip successful little than a month.

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman person overseen the signing of respective agreements, including a defence practice deal, and much than $403m successful Saudi loans for Syria’s energy, housing, wellness and infrastructure sectors.

The agreements were signed connected Wednesday, during al-Sharaa’s 2nd sojourn to Riyadh successful little than a month.

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Syria’s Foreign Ministry called the practice statement betwixt the 2 countries’ defence ministries the “most notable” of the deals. But it did not disclose the terms.

The defence statement came days aft Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said his authorities was weighing whether to articulation a mutual defence pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.

“Discussions are presently nether mode to measure Syria’s introduction into the Mecca alliance,” al-Shaibani said connected Saturday astatine the Manama Dialogue, a information league successful Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia has sought assistance from the United States and countries successful Europe and the Middle East for some antiaircraft and violative support, successful a renewed warfare against the Houthis successful Yemen. The radical has attacked airports and lipid facilities successful Saudi Arabia arsenic it fights forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised authorities for power of the country.

In its connection connected X, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said al-Sharaa and Prince Mohammed had discussed the “current determination and planetary situation” during their talks successful Riyadh.

That included the effects of subject escalation connected determination security, the information of planetary shipping, the reliability of vigor supplies and the stableness of the planetary economy, it said.

The 2 men called for de-escalation and the peaceful solution of disputes. They besides urged an “immediate cessation of each actions that endanger the information of maritime navigation” successful the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz, the connection added.

During al-Sharaa’s visit, the Saudi Fund for Development besides agreed to supply $403m successful loans nether six agreements with Syria’s Finance Ministry, connected concessional terms, the authoritative Saudi Press Agency reported.

They see $100m to rebuild and equip damaged healthcare facilities, $60m to repair damaged housing, $105m to fortify civilian defence, $90m to rehabilitate the Aleppo thermal powerfulness works and $30m to make drinking h2o systems successful Damascus and Idlib, the bureau said.

The 2 governments besides signed a memorandum of knowing connected concern practice and 2 much connected agriculture and biology protection, it added.

Saudi Arabia has been a cardinal backer of Syria’s authorities since al-Sharaa came to powerfulness aft the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad successful December 2024. The 2 leaders past met successful Riyadh connected October 6.

According to the Syrian presidency, they discussed plans for Syria’s reconstruction astatine that meeting, including rebuilding damaged infrastructure and indispensable facilities.