Syria’s Jihadi President Visits Saudi Arabia, Offering Support Against Houthis

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly the head of the retired al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), made a brief visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discuss their bilateral relationship. Sharaa’s presence in Riyadh was notable for its timing, occurring amid a dramatic escalation in the conflict between the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization of Yemen and the legitimate government of that country, backed by Saudi Arabia. While Syrian state media claimed the purpose of Sharaa’s visit was primarily attracting foreign investment into Syria and secure support from Saudi Arabia for post-war reconstruction, the Syrian government issued a statement on Tuesday condemning Houthi terrorism following attacks on two southern Saudi airports. Sharaa arrived on Tuesday alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who received a warm welcome in Riyadh before traveling to meet the crown prince. According to the state-run Syrian Arab New Agency (SANA), Sharaa and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) discussed “ways to develop cooperation between the two countries in a manner that serves their shared interests and contributes to regional security and stability.” SANA added vaguely that they also had a conversation on “regional developments and issues of mutual interest,” without elaborating. The Syrian Directorate of Media in the Presidency of the Republic also released a statement explaining that Damascus was looking to “expand political, diplomatic and economic cooperation in a manner that serves the interests and aspirations of the two peoples.” Post-war reconstruction in Syria is a critical arm of this cooperation, as the country has been devastated by the over decade-long civil war that took place from 2011 to 2024 and concluded with the HTS militia forcing former dictator Bashar Assad, a close ally of Iran and Russia, into exile in Moscow. Elsewhere in the conversations between MBS and Sharaa, Sharaa reportedly invited the crown prince to Damascus; should he accept, the crown prince will be on a very short list of de facto or de jure heads of state making the visit that conspicuously includes Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine. Sharaa also invited further Saudi “quality investment” into the Syrian market. Sharaa’s talks with the Saudi leadership this week are the first such direct talks since the U.S. State Department removed Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list – a move that dramatically expands Syria’s ability to conduct business internationally without its partners running afoul of American sanctions. Sharaa’s government has endeavored to abstain from participating in the several armed conflicts active in the Middle East currently, notably including America’s conflict with Iran. Sharaa and HTS, however, had extensive experience fighting against Assad and his Iranian allies, which included Shiite jihadist organizations such as Hezbollah. The Syrian government has claimed to have conducted raids and mass arrests against Hezbollah on multiple occasions since toppling Assad in 2024 and, while it is not known to have engaged in conflict directly with the Houthis, condemned the Iran proxy while Sharaa was in Damascus. RELATED: Trump — Syria Should Take Care of Hezbollah if Israel Can’t Do It Without “Killing Everyone Else” The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday affirming “Syria’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for the Kingdom in confronting anything that threatens its security, territorial integrity and civilian facilities, while wishing those injured a speedy recovery.” SANA reported that the Foreign Ministry condemned the Houthis by name for their repeated targeting of civilian sites in Saudi Arabia, specifically the southern King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport and Najran International Airport. “Syria stressed that targeting airports and civilian facilities constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the principles governing the protection of civilians and civilian objects, and poses a threat to the safety and security of air navigation,” the statement denounced. The Saudi government accused the Houthis of attempting to bomb both airports, which are located close to the Yemeni border, on Tuesday in response to an expanded offensive by the legitimate Yemeni government, with Saudi backing, to regain control of shore areas of Yemen by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis ousted the government of Yemen from the national capital, Sana’a, and have controlled it since 2014, while the government is currently headquartered in the southern city of Aden. The Bab el-Mandeb is the strait that leads out of the Red Sea; Houthi maritime control has greatly disrupted Saudi Arabia’s oil industry, as the terrorist group has targeted commercial ships for terrorist attacks. The Houthis have deliberately chosen to target non-military sites in Saudi Arabia, boasting on Monday that, in addition to bombing airports, they had attempted to bomb an Aramco refinery in Rabigh. The current violence between the Houthis and the Saudis escalated following the Saudi government accusing the Iranian government of re-arming the Houthis with a flight in July that Houthi leaders claimed was carrying their leaders, flying to Tehran to attend the funeral of late dictator Ali Khamenei. The Houthis then outraged the Muslim world in September by allegedly attempting a drone attack on Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest site in Islam. The Houthis denied the attack, but the Saudi government has since increased its support for anti-Houthi Yemeni forces. Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.