Less than a month after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the new Syrian power has already established numerous diplomatic contacts. While regional and Western delegations have followed one another in Damascus, a new stage begins this week with the first official visit abroad of the new head of Syrian diplomacy. Assaad al-Shibani traveled to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday January 1 for his very first official outing, and it is no coincidence.
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The brand new Minister of Foreign Affairs Syria describes the Saudi kingdom as a country “ brother “. “ This first visit in the history of free Syria allows us to open a new page in Syrian-Saudi relations, commensurate with the long shared history between our two countries. », added Assaad al-Shibani upon his arrival in the kingdom on Wednesday January 1.
Earlier on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported that this movement took place “ at the invitation of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs “. According to the Syrian ministry, his delegation was received upon arrival at Riyadh airport by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji.
Riyadh is a key ally despite its changing position
A wealthy oil monarchy and the main power in the Sunni Arab world, Saudi Arabia is an essential interlocutor for the new Syrian leaders. A regional giant whose position towards Syria has evolved in recent years.
Riyadh initially supported the Syrian rebellion, before resolving in 2023 to reestablish ties with Bashar al-Assad. Riyadh’s influence was central to the return of the now former Syrian dictator within the Arab League the same year.
Last week, in an interview with the Saudi television channel Al-Arabiya, the new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Charaahitherto known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, declared that Saudi Arabia “ will certainly play an important role in Syria’s future “, evoking ” a great investment opportunity for all neighboring countries “.
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Quest for legitimacy, respectability, funding and influence
Today we clearly see everyone’s interest in building a solid relationship. On the Syrian side, the new masters of Damascus are seeking legitimacy and respectability, and their needs are immense in terms of reconstruction and investment. Syria’s economy and infrastructure have been devastated by more than 13 years of civil war.
But the Saudis also have their interests: just a few weeks ago, Syria was in the camp of Iran’s allieswhich remains Saudi Arabia’s great regional rival, despite recent appeasement.
Today, Riyadh’s regional influence can extend as far as Damascus: it is one of the facets of the regional recomposition following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. For the Saudi crown prince and ruler de facto Mohammed bin Salmanthe ultimate objective is that of regional stabilization conducive to its development projects.
Place therefore for pragmatism, even if the political Islam of the former Syrian rebels remains very far from the conception of power of the Saudi monarchy. And it also doesn’t matter if Syria’s new strongman, Ahmed al-Charaa, comes from the al-Nusra front, a movement of al Qaeda terrorists of which Saudi Arabia was one of the targets. Last month, a Saudi delegation met Ahmed al-Charaa in Damascus, a source close to the Saudi government told AFP.