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The agreement was signed during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, alongside more than US$403 million in concessional development loans for Syria.
Mariyam Adheela
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Syria and Saudi Arabia have signed a defence cooperation agreement as the two countries move to strengthen bilateral ties, following talks between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday during al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, where he met the Saudi crown prince. It was their second meeting in Saudi Arabia in less than a month.
The deal was concluded between the defence ministries of the two countries. However, neither side has disclosed details of its terms, scope or implementation.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry described the defence agreement as one of the most notable outcomes of the visit, which also resulted in several agreements and memorandums of understanding covering economic and development cooperation.
During the visit, the Saudi Fund for Development signed six agreements with Syria’s Finance Ministry to provide more than US$403 million in concessional loans.
The financing will support projects in healthcare, housing, civil defence, energy, water services and public-sector development.
The allocations include US$100 million to rehabilitate and equip damaged healthcare facilities, US$60 million for housing rehabilitation, US$105 million to strengthen civil defence services and US$90 million to rehabilitate the Aleppo Thermal Power Plant.
A further US$30 million will support drinking water projects in Damascus and Idlib.
The two countries also signed memorandums of understanding on industrial cooperation, agriculture and environmental protection.
During their talks, al-Sharaa and Mohammed bin Salman discussed regional and international developments, including the impact of military escalation on security, maritime navigation and energy supplies.
Both sides called for efforts to reduce regional tensions and resolve disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. They also stressed the need to halt actions threatening navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
The agreement comes as Saudi Arabia faces renewed security concerns over missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group. Syria has also been considering whether to join a wider mutual defence arrangement involving Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia has been a key supporter of Syria’s new government since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and has played a role in efforts to rebuild the country and restore its international relations.
