Reopening of embassy in Damascus highlights renewed Saudi-Syrian relations

Saudi Arabia has officially reopened its embassy in Damascus after nearly 12 years.

The announcement was made by Abdullah Al-Haris, Saudi Arabia’s acting chargé d’affaires in Syria, during a ceremony attended by Syrian ministers, senior officials and members of the diplomatic community.

The deputy charge d’affaires of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Syria Abdullah Al-Huraiz said that the reopening of the embassy in Damascus is an important moment in the history of relations between the two countries and peoples.

He reaffirmed the embassy’s commitment and the dedication of its staff to strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.

The ceremony was attended by several ministers, senior Syrian government officials, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Damascus and a gathering of officials and intellectuals.

The reopening of the embassy marks a major shift in relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria, which have been strained since Bashar al-Assad took office in 2000 after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad.

Diplomatic relations between the two nations were severed in 2012 amid the ongoing civil war in Syria.

The war, now in its 14th year, has resulted in nearly half a million deaths and displaced half of Syria’s pre-war population of 23 million.

Efforts to reach a political solution have remained largely deadlocked.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia announced on May 26, 2024, the appointment of Faisal bin Saud al-Mejfel as its ambassador to Damascus, marking the first such appointment since the severance of relations.

The decision to reopen diplomatic missions came shortly after Syria rejoined the Arab League and resumed regular commercial flights between the two nations.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is actively working to promote regional peace, including improving relations with Iran and restoring relations with Syria.

The resumption of Saudi-Iranian relations, formalized in March through an agreement in China, is expected to have a positive impact on the Middle East, where both nations have supported rival factions.