Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, April 18, 2023. (Credi: AFP)
Saudi Arabia has officially resumed operations at its embassy in Damascus, more than 12 years after severing diplomatic ties with Bashar al-Assad's government following the bloody crackdown on the 2011 uprising.
During a reception on Monday at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Syrian capital, the acting head of the Saudi embassy, Abdullah al-Harees, announced the reopening to “strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries,” according to Syria’s official news agency, SANA.
Some media outlets reported that the embassy, located in the Abu Rummaneh district, had reopened after repairs, with diplomatic activities previously conducted from the hotel.
Cautious policy approach
Although Riyadh and Damascus announced their reconciliation in May 2023, Saudi Arabia’s envoy, Faisal al-Moujfel, was appointed a year later —months after the reopening of the Syrian embassy in Riyadh and the appointment of a new Syrian ambassador in December. This cautious, incremental approach reflects Saudi disappointment with Assad's government, despite Syria's reintegration into the Arab League.
Jeddah received Assad with honors at the Arab League summit on May 19, 2023, marking his first appearance at the summit in over a decade. The initiative, led by Saudi Arabia, was met with reluctance from some members, including Qatar. Western countries also criticized Assad’s move, calling for concessions before normalization.
Key Saudi priorities in its renewed ties with Syria include: the fight against Captagon trafficking, the return of Syrian refugees and distancing Damascus from its Iranian ally. While progress has been slow on these issues, some advances have been made, with Damascus notably staying out of the Gaza war after warnings from Emirati and Russian intermediaries in the war’s early days. This decision aligns with Syria’s interest in avoiding direct confrontation with Israel, employing a strategy of “strategic parity.”
Although the United Arab Emirates was among the first to resume contact with Damascus in 2018, they waited until early this year to appoint their first ambassador to Syria since relations were restored.