Saudi state television said that Saudi Arabia and Syria are discussing resuming consular services, indicating a possible rapprochement. In 2012, Saudi Arabia shuttered its Damascus embassy and expelled the Syrian ambassador, supporting the Syrian opposition. A foreign ministry source told Al-Ekhbariya on Thursday that conversations are underway with Syrian officials to restart consular services. The broadcaster said the foreign ministry source was reacting on international media reports. Reporters reported on Thursday that Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed to reopen their embassies, citing three anonymous sources.
A regional source affiliated with Damascus told Reporters that Riyadh-Damascus contacts had gained impetus following a momentous deal to re-establish ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a key backer of President Bashar al-Assad. Since Syria’s civil conflict began in 2011, many Western and Arab governments avoided al-Assad. The reestablishment of ties between Riyadh and Damascus would be the biggest step yet in Arab states’ normalization of relations with him. A second Damascus-aligned regional source stated the two countries were “preparing to reopen embassies after Eid al-Fitr” in the second part of April. One regional source and a Gulf diplomat said negotiations in Saudi Arabia with a top Syrian intelligence officer led to the decision. The Saudi communication office, foreign ministry, and Syrian government have not commented. A Saudi foreign ministry official told Saudi state television that negotiations were ongoing to restart consular services with Syria. The abrupt breakthrough may suggest how Iran and Riyadh’s pact may affect other problems in the region, where their antagonism has fueled wars like Syria’s.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the US supported certain Syrian rebels. Iran and Russia helped Al-Assad win most of Syria. The US, a Saudi ally, opposes regional nations’ attempts to normalize relations with al-Assad, noting his government’s brutality and the necessity for a political settlement. When questioned about the reconciliation, a State Department official stated the US “position on normalization is unchanged” and would not urge other nations to normalize ties with al-Assad. Another US ally, the UAE, recently hosted al-Assad and his wife in Abu Dhabi.
