Syria Clarifies Military Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

(MENAFN) Syria has clarified that its military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia is primarily intended to strengthen military capabilities through training, rejecting claims that Damascus plans to deploy troops to Yemen, according to a Syrian diplomatic source.

“Reports about sending Syrian military forces to Yemen at this time are baseless,” the unnamed source said, explaining that the Syrian government's immediate priorities remain improving domestic security, restoring the country and supporting economic recovery.

The source also revealed that Saudi delegations are expected to begin coordination visits to Syria in December, although no specific dates or details about the participants have been announced.

Existing military arrangements between Damascus and Riyadh concentrate on training programs, sharing professional expertise and providing military advisory assistance. However, the source did not disclose additional information about the scope or implementation of the training initiatives.

The agreement followed an announcement by Syria's Foreign Ministry on Nov. 4 confirming that the defense ministries of both countries had signed a military cooperation deal during President Ahmad al-Sharaa's visit to Riyadh. During the trip, al-Sharaa held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The diplomatic source further indicated that the growing partnership could expand into broader security arrangements, stating that cooperation with Saudi Arabia “could eventually lead to a mutual defense agreement or to Syria joining the Mecca Defense Alliance, depending on shared interests.”

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