Saudi Arabia pledges reconstruction support for Syria as ties deepen
DAMASCUS — Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan affirmed on Saturday from Damascus that the Kingdom will be at the forefront of nations supporting Syria's reconstruction and economic revival.
Speaking alongside his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shibani, the minister also announced a joint Saudi-Qatari initiative to fund public sector salaries in Syria.
'Saudi Arabia will remain one of the leading countries standing beside Syria in its journey of reconstruction and economic revival,' Prince Faisal said during a joint press conference in Damascus.
He confirmed that Riyadh and Doha will provide financial support for Syrian civil servants, signaling a new phase in bilateral cooperation.
The visit follows U.S. President Donald Trump's recent announcement in Riyadh to lift economic sanctions on Syria, clearing the way for long-delayed economic recovery efforts after 14 years of devastating conflict.Prince Faisal, who led a high-level Saudi economic delegation, met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus alongside Al-Shibani, where the two performed prayers.Syria's foreign minister expressed gratitude for the Kingdom's role in lobbying for the lifting of U.S. sanctions, calling it 'instrumental in opening the door to economic normalization.'Al-Shibani confirmed that the two countries are entering a 'strong phase of joint investment and economic cooperation,' including infrastructure rebuilding, agricultural revival, and job creation.As part of the growing economic engagement, Saudi investors are expected to visit Damascus soon, with discussions underway on potential trade, investment, and development partnerships.In a significant financial gesture, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also jointly cleared Syria's outstanding $15 million debt to the World Bank.Damascus is banking on this renewed regional backing to launch its economic recovery, following a war that killed over half a million people and crippled its economy.According to a February report by the United Nations, the cumulative GDP losses due to the conflict are estimated at $800 billion.The sanctions, imposed largely in response to the former Assad regime's crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011, had severely restricted Syria's access to international markets and funding. With those restrictions now lifted, Syria is seeking to reintegrate into regional economic frameworks with help from Gulf partners.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leaders
3 hours ago
- Leaders
Saudi FM Commends Strong Relations with Russia
During an official visit to Moscow, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan commended the strong Saudi-Russian relations and the increasing numbers of tourists between both countries, according to Alekhbariya TV channel. 'We hope that the visa exemption agreement will significantly foster tourism cooperation and expand direct flights between both countries,' Prince Faisal added. وزير الخارجية الأمير فيصل بن فرحان : نأمل أن يسهم إعفاء التأشيرات بين السعودية وروسيا ؛ بتعزيز التبادل والتوسع بين البلدين وزيادة أعداد السياح ؛ بما يدعم تعميق العلاقات الثنائية. – — خبر عاجل (@AJELNEWS24) July 4, 2025 He also praised the constructive consensus between the two countries, emphasizing their joint efforts to address global challenges in the energy sector. Saudi FM Discusses Regional Developments with Russian Counterpart On Friday, Prince Faisal held an official meeting with his Russian Counterpart Sergey Lavrov, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Both ministers discussed bilateral relations and cooperation between their countries and peoples and explored ways to further boost their ties. Moreover, they held an official session of talks to address latest developments in the region and efforts made to maintain peace and security. When asked about the possibility of the normalization deal with Israel, Prince Faisal stressed that the Kingdom's current priority is reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Al Arabiya reported. 'What we are seeing is the Israelis are crushing Gaza, the civilian population of Gaza,' he said. 'This is completely unnecessary, completely unacceptable and has to stop.' Since the beginning of Gaza War on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 57,000 Palestinians and caused one of the worst humanitarian crises all over the world. Related Topics: Russia 'Condemns, Regrets' US Strikes on Iran Trump, Putin Thank Saudi Crown Prince for Hosting US-Russia Talks Russia-US Talks: Top Officials Head to Saudi Arabia Short link : Post Views: 29
Saudi Gazette
5 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
GCC – Japan negotiations make progress in sealing free trade agreement
Saudi Gazette report TOKYO — The second round of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Japan wrapped up in the Japanese capital Tokyo on Friday. The negotiations took place from June 30 to July 4, have been instrumental in working out major provisions of a free trade agreement between the two sides in the near future. A government delegation led by the General Authority of Foreign Trade attended the negotiations. The discussions covered several topics, including goods, technical barriers, terms of services, financial and telecommunications services, movement of natural persons, intellectual property, dispute settlement, general provisions, rules of origin, and trade facilitation. During this round, proposed texts were reviewed by both the Gulf and Japanese sides, with a focus on exploring trade opportunities, fostering trust and partnership, and identifying areas of cooperation and coordination. These efforts pave the way toward reaching a comprehensive final agreement in the upcoming rounds. Deputy Governor of the General Authority for International Organizations and Agreements and Head of the Saudi Negotiating Team Farid Al-Asali said that the discussions addressed several topics of mutual importance. He expressed optimism about completing the remaining negotiation rounds and reaching an ambitious agreement that provides preferential access to goods and services. This, he said, would help increase the volume of trade between the two sides, reflect the depth of economic ties, reinforce investment cooperation, and support the Kingdom's Vision 2030. During a meeting with the Saudi Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ghazi Binzagr, Al-Asali emphasized that the free trade negotiations with Japan align with the Kingdom's commitment—alongside other GCC countries—to strengthening trade relations with Japan and advancing the goals of the Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030. The Saudi delegation, headed by the General Authority of Foreign Trade, includes representatives from the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Ministry of Investment, Ministry of Economy and Planning, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, Saudi Export Development Authority, Communications, Space and Technology Commission, Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, and the Saudi Central Bank. The General Authority of Foreign Trade works to enhance the Kingdom's international trade gains, increase its international presence, and its effective participation in a number of international organizations, to ensure the achievement of common goals and sustainable development.
Saudi Gazette
6 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia is among world's top donors with assistance worth SR528 billion
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi Aid Platform has revealed that the total value of financial assistance provided by Saudi Arabia to around the world is amounted to approximately SR528.4 billion ($140.9 billion), cementing the Kingdom's position as one of the largest donors globally. The Saudi official platform revealed that Egypt topped the list of countries that benefited most from Saudi aid, with a total of $32.49 billion, followed by Yemen with $27.69 billion, and then Pakistan with $13.19 billion. The list of countries that benefited the most also included Syria: $7.53 billion; Iraq: $7.33 billion; and Palestine: $5.37 billion. These figures reflect the Kingdom's commitment to its humanitarian and development role by supporting peoples and countries in confronting humanitarian crises and natural disasters, and achieving sustainable development. These efforts are part of the realization of Saudi Vision 2030 goals that focus on strengthening international partnerships and establishing the Kingdom as a pillar of regional and international peace and stability, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. It is noteworthy that the Saudi Aid Platform is the precise electronic reference for the Kingdom's foreign contributions. The platform is divided into three categories: humanitarian, development and philanthropic projects, contributions to international organizations and bodies, and visitors' services (refugees living inside the Kingdom). The Saudi Aid Platform, inaugurated by King Salman in 2018, highlights the size and type of assistance provided by Saudi Arabia. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) re-launched this platform. Due to the multiplicity of Saudi donor entities, this platform has become an imperative and effective tool for collecting, coordinating and documenting statistics on international assistance provided by the Kingdom to countries and people in need around the world.
