Mohammed bin Salman and Al-Sharaa discuss bilateral relations and regional developments

Riyadh – Agencies: Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh yesterday, during which the two sides discussed bilateral relations and regional developments. In Damascus, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that al-Sharaa arrived in Riyadh accompanied by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani on an official visit. It added that Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Emir of the Riyadh Region, welcomed al-Sharaa and his accompanying delegation. The visit comes amid continuous communications between the leaderships of the two countries, covering bilateral relations, economic and investment cooperation, and regional developments.

On April 21, the Syrian president and the Saudi crown prince met in Jeddah during an official visit, discussing bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them, particularly in economic and investment fields and regional connectivity projects, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest. Yesterday’s visit marks al-Sharaa’s fifth trip to Saudi Arabia since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. It was his first foreign destination after assuming the presidency of Syria; he visited Riyadh on February 2, 2025, and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before performing the Umrah pilgrimage.

Al-Sharaa returned to Riyadh on May 14 of the same year, where he held a meeting with the Saudi crown prince and U.S. President Donald Trump, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan participating via telephone call. The discussions at that time focused on the future of Syria, its stability, and the integrity of its territory. On October 28, 2025, al-Sharaa made his third visit to the Kingdom to participate in the ninth edition of the “Future Investment Initiative” conference in Riyadh, where he met with Saudi officials and held a trilateral meeting with the Saudi crown prince and Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani.

Since the fall of Assad, Syrian-Saudi relations have witnessed rapid convergence, with a prominent Saudi role in supporting the regional and international re-engagement of Damascus, alongside political and economic initiatives aimed at supporting stability and reconstruction in Syria.