The latest:
Dozens of Syrian military personnel have moved to Saudi Arabia over the past few weeks to advise and train Saudi and Yemeni units, two Syrian military sources told Reuters, with a senior US official confirming advisory and training teams are heading to the kingdom. Riyadh has been fighting an escalating campaign against Yemen’s Houthis since July. A senior Syrian diplomat said any reference to deployments at this stage was premature.
Details:
- The mission: The two Syrian military sources, who have direct knowledge of the matter, said the task involves advice and training but that its scope could be broader. The senior US official said Syrian teams are helping train Saudi and Yemeni units inside the kingdom to improve their combat effectiveness.
- Damascus pushes back: A senior Syrian diplomat told Reuters that any reference to deploying military personnel at this stage was premature, saying Syria’s focus remains internal security, border protection and reconstruction. He described Wednesday’s defense agreement as covering advisory support, training and the exchange of expertise.
- The Saudi position: A senior Saudi official told Reuters the exchange of expertise is primarily aimed at restructuring Syrian forces, while adding that Syrian partners are also assisting Riyadh with their combat experience against armed groups. Joint exercises are under way, with more planned in security and defense.
- The agreement: The defense pact was signed Wednesday during al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, his second meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in under a month. Syria’s foreign ministry called the defense ministries’ accord the most prominent of the deals signed but did not disclose its clauses.
- The US warning: The senior US official said Washington has urged Damascus to proceed carefully, arguing that any Syrian deployment supporting the war in Yemen risks dragging the country into a broader regional conflict — something Syria has so far avoided.
- The Mecca track: Turkey ratified Thursday a defense pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Mecca in August, clearing the way for Ankara to send military support to Riyadh. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue that talks are under way on Syria joining the alliance.
- The money: The Saudi Fund for Development signed six agreements with Syria’s finance ministry worth more than $403 million in concessional loans: $100 million for health facilities, $105 million for civil defense, $90 million for Aleppo’s thermal power plant, $60 million for damaged housing and $30 million for drinking water.
- The Yemen front: Since fighting resumed, the Houthis have seized territory previously held by the Yemeni government in some areas while the government made limited gains elsewhere. The Houthis have fired missiles at Saudi airports and oil facilities; the kingdom has conducted airstrikes backing its Yemeni allies.
- No comment: The Saudi government, Syria’s defense ministry, the US State Department, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthis did not respond to requests for comment.
Background:
Syria has emerged as a close partner of Riyadh and Washington since the opposition toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Its rebuilt army combines former opposition fighters and groups once backed by Iran. Reuters reported in October that Damascus was weighing defensive or offensive assistance to Saudi Arabia.
Between the lines:
The Syrian diplomat’s framing and the Saudi official’s account diverge on how far the cooperation already extends — Damascus describes advice and training, Riyadh acknowledges Syrian combat expertise against armed groups. Syrian political researcher Ahmed Qassem told Al Jazeera that a second al-Sharaa visit in a short period signals the scale of regional security challenges, arguing Syria needs deterrent power against Israeli incursions.
What’s next
Watch whether Damascus formally joins the Mecca pact after Turkey’s ratification, whether Syrian personnel numbers grow beyond dozens, and whether the undisclosed defense agreement’s clauses are published.
