Syrian president arrives in Riyadh, received by deputy governor

President Ahmad Al Shara of Syria visited Riyadh on Wednesday accompanied by a high-level delegation from his country, according to state media. The delegation consisted of the foreign, defense, finance, and industry ministers, alongside the head of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, as reported by Sana news agency. President Al Shara is scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss various bilateral issues, in addition to signing several agreements across different sectors, as stated by Sana.

This is President Al Shara's second trip to Saudi Arabia in a short span of time. He had previously visited Riyadh on October 6, where he met with Prince Mohammed. During their discussions, they talked about bilateral relations, potential avenues for strengthening ties across various fields, and the latest regional developments.

The recent visit follows Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani's comments last week, stating that Damascus considers security in the Gulf as part of its own. He also mentioned that Syria is engaged in negotiations to join the Makkah defense agreement. Speaking at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, Al Shibani said that there had been "some negotiations" on integration into the pact, emphasizing Syria's willingness to support any organization that protects regional security. He stressed the importance of cooperation on deterrence and defense.

The defense pact was signed in August between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, establishing that an attack on one of them would be considered an attack on all. Recently, Saudi Arabia has experienced multiple drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, targeting various critical infrastructure, including airports, oil facilities, and military sites.

President Al Shara also paid a visit to Saudi Arabia in April, during which he met with Crown Prince Mohammed in Jeddah. Their discussions covered regional developments, efforts to bolster bilateral relations, economic and investment ties, and "regional connectivity projects". Since Al Shara assumed power in Syria in 2024, following a rebel offensive that ousted former President Bashar Al Assad, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a significant investor in Syria.