Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Damascus on Monday, after being closed for over a decade due to strained relations during the crisis in Syria.
Saudi Charge d’affaires, Abdullah al-Haris, pledged to strengthen relations with Syria during the reopening ceremony at the embassy.
The move will boost bilateral relations and foster joint Arab initiatives, said Syria’s Assistant Foreign Minister Ayman Raad highlighted.
The two countries severed diplomatic ties at the start of the Syrian war, but regional Arab states have been mending relations with Damascus in recent years.
Syria’s regained legitimacy and control over most of its territory have led to its gradual reintegration into the Arab diplomatic fold.
Earlier, in January 2024, the UAE appointed Hassan Ahmed al-Shahi as its ambassador to Syria, its first ambassador in Damascus since 2011. The UAE had reopened its embassy in Syria in 2018, signaling improved relations after years of strained ties due to the war.
The Arab rapprochement with Syria continues despite potential challenges, including tightened US sanctions aimed at undermining Syria’s reconciliation efforts.
Over a decade later Syria also rejoined the Arab League, following a series of high-profile visits between Syrian and Arab leaders.
Since April Saudi Arabia has been working through formal diplomatic channels to persuade Morocco to approve Syria’s readmission to the Arab League. Saudi Arabia assured Morocco that Syria would no longer back Polisario, despite the latter’s collaboration with the Iranian regime and Hezbollah to carry out subversive plots aimed at undermining Morocco’s security and stability.
On the Moroccan-Syrian historical links, Bourita recalled that the two countries fought side by side and their troops bled together during the war of October 1973. He noted that the King has always been concerned about the Syrian crisis and the ensuing humanitarian issue.
American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” reported that, besides Morocco, at least five members of the Arab League are refusing to readmit Syria into the grouping, including Kuwait, Qatar, and Yemen