Syriaupdated 50m ago2 min read
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa Meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Riyadh
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Riyadh for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Discussions covered expanding bilateral cooperation and regional developments between Syria and Saudi Arabia.
Al-Sharaa Meets MBS
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and the Syrian presidency said he discussed relations between the two brotherly countries and ways to develop them. SANA reported that al-Sharaa arrived in Riyadh accompanied by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on an official visit to meet the Saudi crown prince. Riyadh region Governor Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz welcomed al-Sharaa and the accompanying delegation, and the two sides exchanged views on developments in the region and issues of common interest.
“Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met today, Tuesday, in the Saudi capital with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.”
Al-Sharaa last met the crown prince in the city of Jeddah on 21 April, and the two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them, particularly in the economic and investment fields and regional connectivity projects. Al-Monitor said al-Sharaa’s visit came as the Houthis escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia and warned international airlines against using Saudi airspace.
Talks Amid Airport Attacks
Al-Monitor said al-Sharaa was received by the governor of the Riyadh region, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, and he later met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral relations and ways to boost cooperation between the two countries. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said his forces had launched a ballistic missile at the Abha airport in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern province of Asir, disrupting air traffic. Saree warned international airlines against operating flights in Saudi airspace, saying “it has become a theater for our military operations, with the exception of the airspace over the sacred areas in Mecca al-Mukarramah and Medina al-Munawwarah.”
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation reported Tuesday that the attacks damaged the airports and left at least three people injured. Al-Monitor added that Saudi Arabia has not commented on the Houthi claims, even as the Houthis said they fired missiles at Saudi troops at the Al-Dughayrir military camp in Jizan province, resulting in dozens of dead and wounded.
Regional Stakes and Cooperation
Al-Jazirah Net said the visit came amid ongoing contacts between the leaderships of the two countries, covering bilateral relations, economic and investment cooperation, and regional developments. Al-Jazirah Net reported that al-Sharaa and the Saudi crown prince exchanged views on developments in the region, along with a number of issues of common interest. Sharaa’s fifth trip to Saudi Arabia since taking power early last year followed a rebel offensive that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Sharaa has been seeking to shore up Arab and Gulf support to revive an economy battered by 14 years of civil war and support reconstruction efforts, with Riyadh showing particular interest in investing in the energy and construction fields in Syria. Al-Monitor framed the timing as part of escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis, with the fighting in Yemen resulting in more than 5,100 casualties since August 6, including 959 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.