Syria, Saudi Arabia sign defence cooperation deal, agree $403m in loans
Summary
Syria and Saudi Arabia signed a defence cooperation agreement and other deals during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia also agreed to provide more than $403 million in concessional loans for Syrian projects in health, housing, civil defence, energy and water.Key Facts
- The agreements were signed on Wednesday during al-Sharaa’s second visit to Riyadh in less than a month.
- Syria’s Foreign Ministry called the defence agreement between the countries’ defence ministries the most notable deal but did not disclose its terms.
- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said days earlier that Syria was considering joining a mutual defence pact involving Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.
- The Saudi Fund for Development agreed to provide $403 million in loans under six agreements with Syria’s Finance Ministry.
- The loans include $100 million for damaged healthcare facilities, $60 million for housing repairs and $105 million to strengthen civil defence.
- Other loans include $90 million to rehabilitate the Aleppo thermal power plant and $30 million for drinking water systems in Damascus and Idlib.
- The two governments also signed agreements on industrial cooperation, agriculture and environmental protection.
- The leaders called for de-escalation and an end to actions threatening maritime navigation in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz.
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