Saudi Arabia to focus on efforts to bring Syria back into Arab fold at major meetings

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed on steps to help thaw ties

The Syrian flag adopted by the opposition is placed at the seat for Syria's representative at the Arab League summit in 2013. Reuters

Efforts to bring Syria's government back into the Arab political fold are gathering pace as the leadership of the six Gulf Co-operation Council states, as well as Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, prepare to meet on Friday in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Syria on Wednesday agreed on several measures to thaw tensions, including steps to resume consular services and flights.

The also agreed to co-operate on drug trafficking operations and Syria's potential return to the Arab League.

It was the first visit by a senior Syrian diplomat to the kingdom in more than a decade, a major sign that Syria's regional isolation is nearing an end.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said in a joint statement that their countries agreed on the importance of resolving humanitarian difficulties and providing an environment for aid to reach all parts of Syria.

“Both sides also discussed the necessary steps to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of the Syrian crisis that would end all its repercussions, achieve national reconciliation and contribute to the return of Syria to the Arab fold and the resumption of its role in the Arab world,” the statement said.

The re-establishment of ties between Riyadh and Damascus would be among the most significant developments in Arab efforts to normalise relations with the government of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in Abu Dhabi. Abdulla Al Neyadi / UAE Presidential Court

Syria was widely shunned by Arab governments over Mr Al Assad’s crackdown on protesters and civilians during an uprising in 2011. The breakdown in relations culminated with Syria being ousted from the Arab League.

In March, Prince Faisal hinted at increased engagement with Syria.

Prince Faisal said consensus was building in the Arab world that isolating Syria was not working and dialogue was needed, particularly to address the humanitarian situation in the country.

Mr Al Assad benefitted from the support of Arab states after the earthquake on February 6 that killed thousands of people in Syria.

The UAE led the way in normalising ties with Mr Al Assad.

President Sheikh Mohamed met the Syrian leader in Abu Dhabi in March, with the two leaders discussing regional stability.

Regional leaders and senior officials attend an Arab League summit in Algeria. Reuters

That came after a delegation of senior Arab officials met Mr Al Assad in Damascus in February.

The push by Saudi Arabia to thaw ties forms part of Riyadh’s policy for peace in the region and comes weeks after it agreed to a deal to revive diplomatic relations with regional rival Iran.

Riyadh's willingness to bring Syria back into the Arab fold, heal the kingdom's rift with Iran and achieve peace in Yemen are part of efforts to increase regional security and stability.

Saudi Arabia has focused on furthering its domestic policy ambitions under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Saudi Vision 2030 programme.

“We've definitely seen across the board that Saudi Arabia is really prioritising its own domestic transformation right now,” Kristin Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told The National.

"We know that [Saudi Vision 2030] is a really big project and a very ambitious one that requires a lot of foreign investment, it requires a lot of their own investment, but it also really requires stability for them to move forward in this economic and social transformation."

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at think tank Chatham House, said Saudi Arabia was investing in its diplomatic policy as it sought to realign the region’s conflicts.

“I think Riyadh has certainly been, for a few years now, prioritising its domestic economy and seeks to lower the regional temperature in order to guarantee a more stable investment environment in the region,” Ms Vakil said.

“For a few years, actually, there has been a shift where Prince Mohammed bin Salman has prioritised or supported efforts to draw down the war in Yemen.

"We also saw AlUla agreement, we've seen rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, in addition to all of the flurry of the de-escalation that we've seen among other countries as well.”

President Sheikh Mohamed with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. Hamad Al Kaabi / UAE Presidential Court.

But Riyadh’s Syria policy faces challenges as the kingdom seeks consensus among Arab states.

Diplomats said several Arab League member states are hesitant to readmit Syria without setting demands for reforms, The Washington Post reported.

Efforts to readmit Syria are also time-sensitive. The Arab League normally meets every November, but its summit this year was brought forward to May 19 at the request of Saudi Arabia, which will host the talks.

Founded in 1945, the Arab League is a loose alliance of about two dozen Arabic-speaking countries that have pledged to co-operate on matters including economic and military affairs.

The group makes decisions on a simple majority basis, but there is no mechanism to compel members to comply with resolutions.

The meeting in Jeddah in May will be an attempt by Saudi Arabia to build consensus among all Arab states, not just a simple majority, on Syria.

"The main aim is to discuss the situation in Syria," Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said.

"There are many developments regarding the situation in Syria and points of view of Arab states about the return of Syria to the Arab League."

Last year, Qatar was one of the few Arab countries that said it refused to consider normalising ties with Syria.

Doha hoped other countries would be discouraged from taking steps to thaw ties with Mr Al Assad’s government.

“The only holdout against Syria’s return to the Arab League is Qatar. If Qatar is willing to change position if there is Arab consensus, I would say it is a done deal,” Randa Slim, director of the conflict resolution and track II dialogues programme at the Middle East Institute, said on Twitter.