Saudi Arabia, Qatar Discuss Military, Security Coordination

The Saudi and Qatari delegations meet in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
The Saudi and Qatari delegations meet in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Qatar Discuss Military, Security Coordination

The Saudi and Qatari delegations meet in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
The Saudi and Qatari delegations meet in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz met with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah in Riyadh on Monday.

The ministers co-chaired the second meeting of the security and military committee established by the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud stressed that the meeting aims to strengthen security cooperation between the two countries, in accordance with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The interior minister emphasized the deep historical and fraternal relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

He noted that the committee meets periodically to discuss ways to boost security cooperation and coordinate positions on security fields of mutual concern. These efforts, he stated, seek to fulfill the aspirations of the leaderships and peoples of both countries for increased security, stability, and prosperity.

The meeting was attended by a number of Saudi and Qatari senior officials.



Syria’s Leader Meets with Bahraini Diplomatic Delegation

The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
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Syria’s Leader Meets with Bahraini Diplomatic Delegation

The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa received a delegation from Bahrain on Wednesday and met with the Bahraini foreign minister, state media reported.

The visit was the latest in a flurry of diplomatic overtures by Arab countries to Syria’s new leaders after they overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning rebel offensive.

Like other Gulf countries, Bahrain had cut off diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad’s rule during the Syrian civil war, but it reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018 and gradually restored ties with the Assad government.

Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit, and days after Assad’s ouster it had sent a message to al-Sharaa offering its cooperation with the new authorities and saying, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.”