RIYADH, November 5 (Aalimi Nation) – Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a defence cooperation agreement and a package of development loans worth more than $403 million on Wednesday, during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's second visit to the Saudi capital in less than a month, Saudi officials said.

The defence agreement was signed between the two countries' defence ministries. Its terms were not disclosed. Syria's Foreign Ministry described it as the most notable of the accords signed during the visit, but gave no details of what it covers.

The loan package

The Saudi Fund for Development agreed to provide concessional loans under six agreements with Syria's Finance Ministry, according to Saudi official statements. The reported total is about $403 million, with one account putting it at $403.6 million. Reports differ slightly on the breakdown, but the items cited include:

  • $100 million to rehabilitate and equip damaged healthcare facilities

  • $60 million to repair damaged housing, with a first phase said to target 10,000 units

  • $105 million to strengthen civil defence capabilities

  • $90 million to rehabilitate the Aleppo thermal power plant

  • $30 million for drinking water systems in Damascus and Idlib

  • $18.6 million for digital transformation and modernisation of financial services

The Syrian Presidency said the agreements cover development, infrastructure, energy, housing and health. Separate memoranda were also signed on industrial cooperation, agriculture and environmental protection.

A second visit in weeks

Al-Sharaa was received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who oversaw the signings. The two leaders last met in Riyadh on October 6, when they discussed reconstruction plans.

According to the official statements, the leaders discussed the regional situation and called for de-escalation and the peaceful settlement of disputes. They also urged an immediate end to actions that threaten the security of maritime navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz.

Regional backdrop

The agreements come as Saudi Arabia is engaged in a renewed conflict with the Houthi movement in Yemen, which is aligned with Iran. Saudi officials have said the group has attacked Saudi airports and oil facilities with missiles and drones, and the kingdom has sought defensive and offensive support from the United States and from European and Middle Eastern countries.

It has been reported that Syria was weighing whether to provide military assistance to Saudi Arabia. A Syrian diplomat was quoted as saying that any request for military cooperation would take place exclusively through official channels. Neither government has said that the new defence agreement involves any such assistance, and its contents remain unconfirmed.

Syria's Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, said at a security forum in Bahrain on Saturday: "Discussions are currently under way to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance." The term refers to a mutual defence arrangement among Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan. No decision has been announced.

Saudi support for Damascus

Saudi Arabia has been a prominent backer of Syria's government since al-Sharaa took power after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Riyadh has provided financial assistance to Damascus since then.

Further details of the defence agreement had not been made public at the time of writing.