Boukhari says Kingdom 'not in conflict' with Lebanon’s Shiites during rare meeting with Khatib

BEIRUT — Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Boukhari said Thursday that Riyadh “is not in conflict with the Shiite community in Lebanon or abroad,” during a meeting with Sheikh Ali Khatib, vice president of the Higher Shiite Council (HSC), at the Council’s headquarters in Hazmieh, east of Beirut. Meanwhile, Khatib praised “the role and wisdom of Saudi Arabia in bringing Lebanese viewpoints closer together and promoting stability.”

The meeting marked a rare gesture of outreach amid ongoing regional and domestic tensions, as both sides underscored the importance of dialogue and national unity.

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Boukhari also commended “the wisdom shown by the Lebanese leadership in steering the country toward stability,” adding, “We always count on that.” He also praised Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for his role in promoting dialogue, stressing that “no Lebanese component should be excluded from the state, in keeping with the spirit of the Taif Agreement.”

Khatib also said that “the Shiite community has never been a factor of division or separation, but rather one of unity and togetherness.” He hailed “the role and wisdom of Saudi Arabia in bringing Lebanese viewpoints together and promoting stability, as it did with the Taif Agreement,” concluded in 1989.

The meeting followed a recent overture by Iran-backed Hezbollah, whose secretary-general, Naim Qassem, in a speech at the end of September, called on Riyadh to “turn a new page” with the group and “set aside past differences” to form a united front against Israel. The appeal was widely seen as reflecting Hezbollah’s growing concern over pressure to disarm.

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Khatib also spoke of “the need to restore citizens’ trust in the state,” saying the government must prioritize “people’s living conditions, social affairs and security.” He added that “it is not acceptable for citizens to continue to feel the government is ignoring their concerns and those of the displaced” in the context of the latest war with Israel.

He invited Boukhari to attend a symposium on the Taif Agreement to be held by the Higher Shiite Council on Nov. 6 in Hazmieh.

Since last November’s cease-fire, Hezbollah and its allies have repeatedly urged the Lebanese state to finance the reconstruction of war-damaged areas. The group’s supply lines have largely been cut, especially following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024. Meanwhile, Israel continues near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa and continues to occupy several areas near the border.