Saudi Arabia to re-establish relations with Syria, sources.

BEIRUT/RIYADH: Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than a decade ago, according to three sources familiar with the situation, a step that would mark a significant step forward in Damascus’ return to the Arab fold.

Contacts between Riyadh and Damascus had picked up steam following a landmark agreement to re-establish ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, according to a regional source close to Damascus.

The re-establishment of ties between Riyadh and Damascus would mark the most significant development yet in moves by Arab states to normalize ties with Assad, who was shunned by many Western and Arab states after Syria’s civil war began in 2011.

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A second regional source close to Damascus told Reuters that the two governments were “preparing to reopen embassies after Eid al-Fitr,” a Muslim holiday in the second half of April.

The decision was the result of talks in Saudi Arabia with a senior Syrian intelligence official, according to one of the regional sources and a diplomat in the Gulf.

Requests for comment were not responded to by the Saudi government’s communication office, the kingdom’s foreign ministry, or the Syrian government.

Saudi state television later confirmed, citing a Saudi foreign ministry official, that talks with the Syrian foreign ministry were ongoing to resume consular services.

Due to the sensitivity of the subject, the sources spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The apparently sudden breakthrough could indicate how the deal between Tehran and Riyadh may play into other crises in the region, where their rivalry has fuelled conflicts including the war in Syria.

The US and several of its regional allies, including Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Qatar, had backed some of Syria’s insurgents. With the help of Shi’ite Iran and Russia, Assad was able to defeat the insurgency across most of Syria.

The US, a Saudi ally, has opposed regional countries’ efforts to normalise relations with Assad, citing his government’s brutality during the conflict and the need to see progress towards a political solution.

When asked about the rapprochement, a State Department spokesperson said the US “stance on normalisation remains unchanged” and that it would not encourage other countries to normalise ties with Assad.

Arab league suspension

The United Arab Emirates, another strategic US partner, has led the way in normalising contacts with Assad, recently receiving him in Abu Dhabi with his wife.

But Saudi Arabia has been moving far more cautiously. The high-ranking Syrian intelligence official “stayed for days” in Riyadh, according to the Gulf diplomat, and an agreement was reached to reopen embassies “very soon.”

One of the regional sources identified the official as Hussam Louqa, the head of Syria’s intelligence committee, and said talks included border security and the smuggling of captagon, an amphetamine with a thriving market in the Arab Gulf, from Syria.

In response to Assad’s brutal crackdown on protests, Syria was expelled from the Arab League in 2011.

Earlier this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated that engagement with Assad could lead to Syria’s return to the Arab League, but that it was too early to discuss such a step.

The Syrian-Saudi talks, according to the diplomat, could pave the way for a vote to lift Syria’s suspension during the next Arab summit, which is expected to be held in Saudi Arabia in April.

The UAE reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018, arguing that Arab countries needed a stronger presence in Syria to help resolve the conflict.

While Assad has reaped the benefits of renewed contacts with Arab states that once shunned him, US sanctions continue to be a major impediment to countries seeking to expand commercial ties.