Syria and Saudi Arabia sign defence cooperation deal and agree more than $403m in loans
Syria and Saudi Arabia have signed a defence cooperation agreement and agreed more than $403m in Saudi loans for Syrian sectors, according to statements released after talks in Riyadh. The agreements were overseen by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during al-Sharaa's second visit to the Saudi capital in less than a month. The deal adds a new defence dimension to a relationship that has been widening through diplomacy and financial support.
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Syria's Foreign Ministry described the defence cooperation accord between the two countries' defence ministries as the most notable of the agreements, but did not disclose its terms. The talks also covered what the ministry called the current regional and international situation. In its statement, it said the two sides discussed the effects of military escalation on regional security, the safety of international shipping, the reliability of energy supplies and the stability of the global economy.
The Saudi Fund for Development separately agreed to provide $403m in loans under six agreements with Syria's Finance Ministry on concessional terms, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The funding is intended for energy, housing, health and infrastructure projects. Reported allocations include $100m to rebuild and equip damaged healthcare facilities and $60m to repair damaged housing, although the full breakdown was not immediately available.
The timing of the defence agreement is significant because it comes days after Syria's foreign minister said the government was weighing whether to join a mutual defence pact involving Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan. He said discussions were under way to evaluate Syria's entry into what he called the Mecca alliance. The new signing suggests those regional security conversations are continuing, even though no details have been made public about any formal alignment beyond the bilateral deal.
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The talks also took place against the backdrop of wider regional tensions, including renewed conflict involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has sought support from the United States and countries in Europe and the Middle East for defensive and offensive backing in that conflict. The Syrian statement said al-Sharaa and Prince Mohammed called for de-escalation and the peaceful resolution of disputes, and urged an immediate halt to actions threatening maritime navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
What remains unclear is the scope of the defence cooperation agreement and whether it could lead to broader military coordination. It is also not clear how quickly the loan agreements will be disbursed or how the funds will be distributed across the sectors named. The next developments to watch are any further detail from either government on the defence pact, as well as whether Syria moves closer to the wider regional security arrangement under discussion.
