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2026-11-08 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
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Syria expands ties with Saudi Arabia, Europe and China as it seeks a new regional role
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[Jpost] Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh produced agreements spanning energy, health and military cooperation, with Saudi financing earmarked for Syrian power, water and housing projects.
Syria is seeking to expand its international relationships as President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government moves to consolidate its position almost two years after the fall of the Assad regime.
A flurry of diplomatic meetings in Saudi Arabia
 ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
, Europe, and Damascus this week shows how the new Syrian leadership is trying to reshape the country’s regional role while attracting investment and rebuilding state institutions.
Saudi Arabia has been a key supporter of the new Syrian government and has paved the way for friendlier ties between Syria and the US. Syria’s diplomatic activity also highlights a larger shift in its foreign policy.
Under the Assad regime, Syria depended heavily on Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and Russia while straining its relationships with many Arab and Western countries. Now, the new government is seeking a broader network of partnerships that can provide economic support, security cooperation, and international legitimacy.
One of the most important developments came on Wednesday, when Sharaa traveled to Riyadh to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional security before overseeing the signing of agreements covering development, infrastructure, energy, housing, health, industry, agriculture, environmental protection, military cooperation, and financial services, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria’s official news agency, reported.
These subjects, however, are too vague. What matters is what was said privately and how the two countries are improving their ties.
Riyadh is leading the new Mecca Pact with Pakistain and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
, and both countries are also friends of Damascus.
The composition of the Syrian delegation was equally significant. Sharaa was accompanied by bigwigs responsible for foreign affairs, defense, finance, industry, and intelligence. This suggests Damascus views its relationship with Riyadh as extending beyond reconstruction and will include strategic and security cooperation.
RIYADH’S GROWING ROLE
Saudi Arabia has become an important partner for Syria since the Assad regime’s fall in December 2024. Riyadh was Sharaa’s first foreign destination as president in February 2025, and Saudi Arabia subsequently played a role in diplomatic efforts to ease sanctions and restore Syria’s access to international financial institutions.
In April 2025, Saudi Arabia and Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
agreed to settle Syria’s estimated $15 million in arrears to the World Bank, enabling the institution to resume activities in the country.
Saudi involvement has since expanded. A Syrian-Saudi investment forum in July 2025 produced 47 agreements and memorandums of understanding valued at more than $6 billion, SANA reported. The latest agreements suggest cooperation is shifting from diplomatic commitments to specific reconstruction projects.
Saudi development financing is intended to support rehabilitation of the Aleppo power station, installation of 300,000 smart water meters in Damascus and Idlib, construction or rehabilitation of 25 Civil Defense centers, and repairs to hospitals and 10,000 damaged housing units, SANA reported Thursday.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if these will be effective.
These projects matter because Syria’s new government faces pressure to deliver real improvements to daily life. Syria must prioritize the rebuilding of electricity networks, water supplies, and public services. These are not only economic priorities; they will also determine whether the government can gain the public’s confidence.
Saudi Arabia's growing role also illustrates how regional powers are seeking to shape Syria’s future through investment and institutional cooperation.
While Syria’s leader was meeting Saudi officials, Syrian diplomats were presenting Damascus’s changing priorities to European representatives. On Thursday, Qutaiba Kadish, director of international cooperation at Syria’s Foreign Ministry, addressed the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
’s Mashreq/Maghreb Working Party in Brussels.
Kadish said Europa
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
should be viewed as more than a source of financial assistance, SANA reported. He described it as a natural partner in building regional stability and supporting Syria’s recovery.
Kadish said Damascus had changed its role since the Assad regime, particularly regarding drug trafficking, terrorism, and international security, the report said.
These issues matter to European countries concerned about regional instability, migration, and the risk of holy warrior groups exploiting weak state institutions. In addition, Syria says it is cracking down on drug smuggling.
Syria’s economic recovery, however, also depends on rebuilding financial links with Europe. Kadish called for removing remaining obstacles to bank transfers, trade financing, and investment, saying practical banking restrictions continue to limit reconstruction.
He also criticized Israeli military operations in southern Syria and called on European governments to support Syria and pressure Israel to stop raids into Syria near the Golan Heights.
LOOKING EAST: CHINA AND PAKISTAN
Syria is also reaching out to China. On Tuesday, Sharaa met representatives of Chinese companies and business organizations in Damascus. The discussions focused on investment opportunities in industry, construction, and reconstruction, SANA reported. The meeting coincided with a Syrian-Chinese Economic Development Forum in Damascus.
China’s potential involvement matters because Syria needs substantial investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, and transportation. Meetings with business delegations, however, do not necessarily mean that major investments will materialize.
This may raise concern in Washington. Syria will still need to demonstrate that projects are financially viable and that investors can operate within a predictable legal and security environment.
Damascus is also exploring military relationships with Pakistain. On Tuesday, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra met Pakistain’s military attaché to Syria and Iraq to discuss possible bilateral military cooperation, SANA reported.
TURNING DIPLOMACY INTO RESULTS
Although the announcement provided few details, it suggests that the Syrian government is seeking to diversify its defense relationships as it rebuilds its armed forces.
Taken together, these developments illustrate that the Syrian government is attempting to reposition itself within the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia is providing a route on the way to reconstruction, financing, and renewed Arab economic integration. Europe offers potential institutional cooperation, investment, and diplomatic engagement. China represents another possible source of infrastructure investment, while contacts with Pakistain point to efforts to broaden military relationships.
Damascus’s central challenge is turning these diplomatic initiatives into concrete results. Syria continues to face internal security problems, destroyed cities, economic hardship, and tensions involving gangs. Its ability to attract investment will depend partly on whether the government can establish stability and effective institutions.
The emerging foreign policy also represents a departure from the Assad era, when Syria’s relationships with Iran and Russia shaped much of its strategic orientation.
Sharaa is seeking a more diversified set of partnerships. Whether this produces a real transformation will depend on the agreements signed and whether Syria can rebuild its economy and consolidate authority at home.
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Posted by trailing wife 2026-11-08 00:00||
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