Syria is providing Saudi Arabia with military advice and training as the kingdom faces attacks by the Houthis in Yemen, and has sent a limited number of military personnel to the country, Reuters reported Friday, citing two Syrian military sources and a senior US official.
According to the Syrian sources, who have direct knowledge of the matter, dozens of military personnel have traveled from Syria to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. They described their mission as advisory and training-related but said their mandate could be broader.
The senior US official said Syrian advisers and training teams were arriving in the kingdom to train Saudi and Yemeni units and improve their combat readiness. Syria's new military is made up of former rebels who spent years fighting against Bashar Assad and the pro-Iranian militias that came to his aid.
Saudi Arabia has been locked in an escalating confrontation with the Houthis since July, after fighting in Yemen flared up again amid the broader war in the Middle East. The Houthis have fired missiles at Saudi airports and oil facilities, while Riyadh has launched airstrikes in support of its allies in Yemen. The kingdom is also seeking defensive and offensive assistance from several allies.
Damascus: Too early to talk about deployment
A senior Syrian diplomat told Reuters that "any suggestion of military deployments at this stage is premature," stressing that Syria remains focused on domestic security, border protection and reconstruction.
The diplomat said the defense agreement signed between the two countries Wednesday "specifically includes advisory support, training and exchange of expertise."
The agreement was signed in Riyadh during a visit by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, his second meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in less than a month. Its details have not been made public.
A senior Saudi official told Reuters that sharing expertise with Syria was intended "mainly to restructure the Syrian forces … but that doesn't mean also our Syrian partners don't help us in their combat experience regarding fighting militias." The official added joint training exercises were already underway, with more planned.
Washington has urged Damascus to proceed cautiously. The senior US official warned that any Syrian involvement in the war in Yemen could draw the country into the wider regional conflict, which it has so far managed to avoid.
Loans and a possible alliance
Syria has become a close ally of Saudi Arabia and the US since rebels led by al-Sharaa overthrew Bashar Assad, an Iranian ally, in 2024.
On Wednesday, the Saudi Fund for Development also signed six concessional loan agreements with Syria's Finance Ministry worth more than $403 million. The financing represents vital assistance for a country struggling to rebuild its economy and facing reconstruction costs estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars.
According to the Syrian diplomat, the defense agreement could eventually expand into broader security cooperation, similar to the Mecca Alliance, established in August by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Turkey ratified the alliance Thursday, allowing it to send military assistance to Riyadh.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani recently said discussions were underway about Syria joining the alliance. "Syria considers the security of the Arab Gulf part of regional security … Syria stands by the people and the governments of the Gulf in the face of challenges and militias operating across borders," he said.
Reuters reported in October that Syria was considering providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia, either by helping defend against attacks or by sending troops to fight alongside Saudi-backed Yemeni forces against the Houthis.
