Damascus, Oct. 12 (SANA) Syria and Saudi Arabia are expanding their strategic partnership, with cooperation increasingly focused on economic recovery, reconstruction and investment since Syria’s liberation on Dec. 8, 2024.
The two countries have advanced projects and agreements across infrastructure, energy, water, telecommunications and transport, seeking to translate their longstanding ties into sustainable economic and development opportunities.
President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s decision to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign destination after taking office in February 2025 signaled the importance Damascus attaches to relations with Riyadh. During the visit, the president met Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, describing the talks as laying the foundation for “the beginning of a strategic relationship” spanning political, security, economic, cultural and service sectors.
Saudi writer and political and economic analyst Jihad al-Obaid told SANA that a partnership based on mutual interests would allow both countries to capitalize on their respective strengths. Syria’s geographic position, human resources and agricultural, industrial and tourism potential could make it a partner in trade, logistics, regional connectivity, energy and telecommunications, he said.
Political support opens the way for economic recovery
Saudi support for Syria has extended beyond political engagement to steps aimed at easing economic constraints. In April 2025, Saudi Arabia and Qatar paid Syria’s outstanding arrears to the World Bank, totaling about $15 million. The payment enabled the bank to resume support and activities in Syria after a suspension of more than 14 years, opening the way for programs and grants supporting reconstruction, institution-building and capacity development.
The following month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the Kingdom was coordinating with Washington on measures related to lifting sanctions on Syria and would be among the leading supporters of its economic recovery.
These moves marked a shift toward helping remove obstacles to Syria’s recovery and reintegration into the international economic and financial system.
Al-Obaid said Syria needed to move beyond aid and relief toward productive investment that creates jobs, generates income and supports sustained economic activity. Saudi investment could also help strengthen confidence in the Syrian economy and encourage other investors to enter the market, he added.
That effort gained momentum at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum in Damascus in July 2025, where the two sides signed 47 agreements and memorandums of understanding worth more than $6 billion. The deals covered energy, tourism, industry, trade, real estate, cybersecurity and other sectors, with estimates pointing to the creation of about 50,000 direct jobs and 150,000 indirect jobs.
The forum brought together more than 20 Saudi government entities and around 100 major private-sector companies. Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih said Saudi businesses would be key partners in Syria’s reconstruction, with potential investment extending to energy, industry, infrastructure, real estate, financial services, healthcare, agriculture, information technology, contracting and education.
Agreements expand into strategic projects
The partnership gained a legal framework in August 2025 with the signing of a Syrian-Saudi agreement to promote and protect investment. The same month, the Saudi Ministry of Investment opened an office in Damascus.
In the energy sector, Syria and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement and six memorandums of understanding on Aug. 28 covering electricity, petroleum and gas. The arrangements included the development of transmission and distribution stations, well drilling and maintenance, and the development and management of oil and gas fields, alongside conventional and renewable power projects.
Some of the understandings involved Saudi company ACWA Power in potential electricity-generation, photovoltaic and wind-energy projects, including storage options.
In February 2026, the two countries announced strategic contracts in aviation, telecommunications, infrastructure, water and real estate development, signaling a move from broad agreements toward implementation.
One of the major initiatives is the Silk Link project, valued at nearly $1 billion. It envisages about 4,500 kilometers of fiber-optic cables, five data centers and submarine cable landing stations, with the aim of rebuilding Syria’s digital infrastructure and strengthening its position in data traffic between Europe and Asia.
Transport cooperation includes the development of Aleppo International Airport and upgrades to the existing facility, as well as plans to establish a Syrian airline serving commercial aviation and air cargo.
In the water sector, an agreement signed in August 2026 provided for studies on an integrated water, desalination and transmission system. The proposed system would have desalination capacity of up to 1.2 million cubic meters a day and a transmission network extending about 400 kilometers.
The projects could also help Syria capitalize on its geographic position. Al-Obaid said the country could serve as a link between the Gulf, Iraq, Jordan, Türkiye and the Mediterranean, connecting trade, aviation, energy and telecommunications networks.
Investment in infrastructure could therefore help Syria restore part of its role as an economic corridor between East and West, particularly as regional supply chains and trade and logistics routes gain importance.
Leadership meetings sustain momentum
Political contacts have continued alongside the expansion of economic cooperation.
After their meeting in Riyadh in February 2025, President al-Sharaa and Mohammed bin Salman met in Doha in September and again in Riyadh on Oct. 29 on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative conference, where discussions focused on investment and economic cooperation.
In December 2025, the Saudi crown prince reaffirmed the Kingdom’s support for Syria’s reconstruction and development. The two sides discussed strengthening cooperation in economic development and investment in January 2026.
At a meeting in Jeddah on April 21, 2026, they discussed expanding economic and investment partnerships and regional connectivity projects. Their meeting in Riyadh on Oct. 6 reaffirmed the course of cooperation and examined ways to advance bilateral relations and shared interests.
Institutional links have also developed. In February 2026, the Syrian side of the Syrian-Saudi Business Council was formed to strengthen private-sector participation in economic cooperation and investment.
Al-Obaid said the developments indicated a transition from political support and renewed engagement toward a more institutionalized, long-term economic partnership. Investment protection agreements, the settlement of Syria’s World Bank arrears with Saudi and Qatari support, and the start of projects in strategic sectors had helped lay the groundwork for this shift, he said.
A partnership built on support and reconstruction
The partnership has evolved from political support to measures aimed at economic recovery and financial reintegration, followed by a legal framework for investment and projects spanning energy, water, telecommunications, aviation and infrastructure.
Reconstruction brings together Syria’s need for investment with Saudi Arabia’s capital, expertise, companies and investment networks. Syria offers geographic advantages, human resources, productive sectors and potential investment opportunities.
However, the partnership faces challenges, including political and security stability, clear regulations and investor protections, effective institutions, banking-sector development, easier financial transfers and the implementation of signed agreements.
Al-Obaid said addressing these issues would be essential to turning agreements into sustainable projects that generate economic returns for both countries while supporting Syria’s stability and reintegration into the regional economy.
The Syrian-Saudi partnership is increasingly bringing together political support, investment, development, reconstruction and regional connectivity, with shared economic interests at the center of a new phase in relations between Damascus and Riyadh.
The task ahead is to turn recovery opportunities into sustainable development projects and build lasting mutual interests that link Syria’s stability and economic growth to the wider region’s prosperity.
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