ANKARA

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan announced on Saturday that the kingdom, together with Qatar, will provide joint financial support for public sector employees in Syria.

During a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, bin Farhan said: “We will provide joint financial support with Qatar to employees in the Syrian public sector.”

“We want to see Syria in its rightful place and position, and we will work to achieve that,” added the Saudi minister.

He continued: “We discussed opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation in a way that reflects fraternal ties, and we look forward to strengthening the partnership between the two countries.”

He praised US President Donald Trump's response to requests to lift sanctions on Syria.​​​​​​​

Bin Farhan said lifting the sanctions on Damascus “will contribute to reviving the economy and will positively impact the Syrian people and their living conditions.”

He stressed that his country “will remain at the forefront of nations standing by Syria in the journey of reconstruction and economic recovery.”

According to a Saudi-Qatari statement that was published by official news agencies of both countries, the support follows their earlier contribution to covering Syria’s arrears at the World Bank Group, which totaled $15 million.

“We discussed many topics, especially in the fields of economy and energy,” said Shaibani.

He expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for supporting Syria "since the moment of liberation, especially in lifting the sanctions."

The Syrian minister pointed out that “lifting the sanctions is just the beginning, and we have taken serious steps to provide services to citizens. Two days ago, we signed an agreement with international companies to secure the gas needed for power generation.”

On Thursday, Turkish conglomerates Kalyon Holding and Cengiz Holding, Qatar-based UCC, and US-based Power International signed an energy investment agreement worth $7 billion in Syria.

Al-Shaibani stated: “Our choice in Syria is economic sovereignty, and the strength of our partnership with Saudi Arabia lies in shared interests.”

He emphasized that “the reconstruction of Syria will not be imposed from the outside, but by the Syrian people themselves, and we welcome any contribution in this regard.”

Later, Shaibani praised the visit of his Saudi counterpart to Damascus as a “significant step” in shaping the future of economic and investment relations between the two countries.

Earlier Saturday, the Saudi foreign minister arrived in Damascus, heading a high-level economic delegation.

The delegation includes Royal Court Advisor Mohammed bin Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri, Deputy Minister of Finance Abdulmohsen bin Saad Al-Khalaf, Assistant Minister of Investment Abdullah bin Ali Al-Dubaikhi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic and Development Affairs Abdullah bin Zarah, and several other officials from various sectors.

Bin Farhan also met Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and his counterpart Asaad Al-Shaibani, and paid a visit to the Umayyad Mosque.

The visit takes place at a time when countries are becoming more open to investment and economic opportunities in Syria, following the US and EU's decision to lift sanctions on Damascus in May.

The trip is an important step in the ongoing normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria following years of diplomatic estrangement.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.​​​​​​​

Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.