Saudi Arabia has appointed Faisal al-Mujfel as its first ambassador to Syria since breaking ties in 2012. This step marks a substantial improvement in relations. Syria has been readmitted to the Arab League after being excluded for more than a decade due to President Bashar Assad’s crackdown on protestors. The Syrian government has yet to react to this event.
The Syrian conflict which is currently in its 14th year, has claimed more than half a million lives and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. Attempts to find a political settlement have stalled. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake in February 2023 prompted many Arab countries to reestablish ties with Assad.
In March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran, a key Assad ally, agreed to resume diplomatic relations to alleviate regional crises. Saudi Arabia continues to lead a coalition in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in what has become a proxy war.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently met with the United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss a broad security pact that included measures to resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict and establish a two-state solution in Palestine.
