Saudi Arabia Officially Reopens its Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)
Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)
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Saudi Arabia Officially Reopens its Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)
Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)

Saudi Arabia officially reopened on Tuesday its embassy in Damascus after a 12-year closure.

Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris made the announcement during the reopening in the Syrian capital. The inauguration ceremony was attended by several senior Syrian government officials and diplomats.

Al-Haris described the reopening as a historic day in relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

He underscored the embassy’s keenness on exerting all possible efforts to bolster bilateral relations between Riyadh and Damascus.

Saudi Arabia had named Faisal bin Saud al-Mujfel as its ambassador to Syria months after announcing that it was restoring diplomatic ties with Damascus.

He is the Kingdom’s first ambassador to Syria since 2012.

Riyadh and Damascus announced in October that they were restoring ties, days after Syria’s membership was reinstated in the Arab League. Flights between the two countries were also resumed.



Saudi Arabia Reviews Ongoing Efforts to Establish Palestinian State

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reviews Ongoing Efforts to Establish Palestinian State

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)

The Saudi government reviewed on Tuesday ongoing Arab-Islamic efforts to support the establishment of a Palestinian state, restore the Palestinians’ legitimate rights, and the Israeli forces' violations of international and humanitarian laws.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the cabinet on his recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. They discussed bilateral cooperation and ways to boost it, as well as current regional and international developments, focusing on collaborative efforts to promote security and stability.

The cabinet reviewed the outcomes of Saudi Arabia's participation in various meetings, where discussions emphasized the Kingdom's commitment to fostering joint international action aiming to achieve progress in various fields and contribute to efforts that bring about global development and economic prosperity.

It commended the outcomes of the 161st session of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the meetings GCC held with Russia, India and Brazil. It underscored the Kingdom's dedication to advancing Gulf cooperation at all levels and to supporting initiatives taken to strengthen Gulf ties with other countries.

The cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the OPEC+ meeting, during which the Kingdom and seven other members agreed to extend voluntary production cuts by 2.2 million barrels per day until November 2024.

The cabinet highlighted the International Monetary Fund's Article IV Consultation report that praised Saudi Arabia's leading role in international cooperation and progress toward achieving Vision 2030 goals. The IMF also acknowledged the Kingdom's efforts to diversify its economy, expand its economy base, and implement comprehensive structural reforms.

Moreover, the cabinet acknowledged the success of the recent Fintech conference, held in Riyadh, and the promising developments shown on the occasion, which reflect Saudi Arabia's aspirations to become a global fintech hub.

It praised Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the 6th UN World Data Forum in 2026 granted in recognition to the Kingdom's achievements in the statistical sector and its track record in hosting successful international events.

The cabinet also hailedthe efforts of the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan group to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, expand the delivery of humanitarian aid, and work toward a ceasefire agreement.