Syria, Saudi Arabia sign defense pact, agree on more than $403M in loans – Türkiye Today

Syria, Saudi Arabia sign defense pact, agree on more than $403M in loans  Türkiye Today

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman oversaw the signing of a defense cooperation agreement and financial deals worth more than $403 million during Sharaa's visit to Riyadh on Wednesday. The Saudi Fund for Development financing allocates $100 million to rebuild and equip damaged healthcare facilities, $60 million to repair housing, and $105 million to strengthen civil defense. Another $90 million will go toward rehabilitating the Aleppo thermal power plant, while $30 million is earmarked for drinking water systems in Damascus and Idlib. The remaining areas of cooperation include emergency services and the digital transformation of government financial services. Talks over Syria's entry to Mecca pact underway Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra confirmed that the two countries had signed a separate defense cooperation agreement during meetings involving Sharaa, the Saudi crown prince, and Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

Neither government disclosed the terms of the bilateral deal. Syria's Foreign Ministry described it as the most notable outcome of the visit, as Damascus also considers joining a wider regional military alliance involving Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed by the three countries in Mecca on Aug. 7, establishes a collective defense commitment under which an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all three. The agreement