Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday. The reported call comes as Damascus and Riyadh are working toward several important economic deals.
It also comes in the wake of the Doha Forum, where Sharaa spoke about the future of Syria.
This is important. Syria is not linked directly to Saudi Arabia by land, but it has trade routes by air or through Jordan and Iraq.
If Israel normalizes its relations with Saudi Arabia and Syria, then it’s plausible those trade links could also include Israel, potentially revolutionizing the region economically.
“President Ahmad al-Sharaa discussed Tuesday in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman joint cooperation, strengthening ties between the two brotherly countries,” Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria’s official news agency, reported.
During the call, the Saudi crown prince “extended his congratulations to President al-Sharaa on the first anniversary of Syria’s Liberation Day, affirming the Kingdom’s support for Syria’s reconstruction efforts and commending the achievements made by the Syrian people in strengthening stability,” the report said. “He stressed Riyadh’s keenness to continue enhancing fraternal cooperation with Syria in a way that contributes to development.”
After Assad's regime fell, Syria celebrates a new phase
Syria is celebrating one year since the fall of the Assad regime. It has progressed a lot since then, integrating back into the international community and receiving widespread sanctions relief from the US, the EU, and others.
“The two leaders reviewed aspects of bilateral relations and opportunities to expand them across various fields, in addition to discussing issues of mutual interest and ongoing efforts to bolster security, stability, and economic recovery in Syria,” SANA reported. “President al-Sharaa had previously met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on October 29 in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative conference, where they discussed ways to strengthen economic and investment cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international developments.”
In addition to the call with the Saudis, the Syrian Petroleum Company signed four strategic agreements with Saudi oil and gas service firms “to expand production, enhance technical operations, and increase output across the country,” the report said.
The agreements were finalized in Damascus and include ADES Holding, Saudi TAQA, ARGAS, and Arabian Drilling,” SANA reported. Youssef Qablawi, CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company, said the “agreement with ADES aims to increase gas production from existing fields by 25% over the next six months, with projections of up to a 50% increase by the end of 2026.”
This is expected to create about 2,000 jobs in Syria and is part of a comprehensive plan to modernize Syria’s energy sector, the report said.
The “investments will begin in June to boost gas output,” ADES Holding CEO Mohamed Farouk was quoted as saying, adding that the company “plans to expand operations in Syria, leveraging its expertise in drilling and production.”
The agreements will help develop and maintain energy infrastructure, which has been badly neglected over the last decades, SANA reported.
Syria has various pipelines and gas infrastructure. Some of it is in eastern Syria and is controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
“Mohammed al-Qahtani from ARGAS highlighted that the deal will provide geophysical and geological consulting services to support oil and gas exploration in Syria, contributing technical expertise to enhance exploration efforts,” SANA reported. “Majed al-Anazi, marketing and sales director at Arabian Drilling, said the agreement includes providing onshore drilling rigs and training programs for Syrian engineers and technicians. The goal is to strengthen local technical capabilities and improve operational efficiency.”
These agreements come within the context of other outreach by Damascus. For instance, the Syrian-Chinese Business Council organized a national event in Tongxiang City, Jiaxing Province, to commemorate the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime. Syria’s Minister of Information Hamza al-Mustafa, accompanied by SANA Director-General Ziad Mahameed and Alaa Barselo, director-general of the Radio and Television Authority, also visited the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, the report said.