Kattan: 'Council of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden' Is Strategic Necessity

Saudi Minister of State for African Countries Ahmed Kattan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of State for African Countries Ahmed Kattan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kattan: 'Council of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden' Is Strategic Necessity

Saudi Minister of State for African Countries Ahmed Kattan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of State for African Countries Ahmed Kattan (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Minister of State for African Countries, Ahmed Kattan, has emphasized the strategic importance of the Council of Arab and African States bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Kattan said: “Saudi Arabia was the first to realize the importance of the Red Sea and the first to initiate a call for international collective efforts aimed at coordination to protect and secure the safety of the waterway.”

The Kingdom hosted on Monday a meeting for the signing of the Charter of the Council of Arab and African Coastal States of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Jordan, Yemen, and Eritrea are members of the new alliance.

Kattan explained that the safety and security of the Red Sea, which covers an area of 178,000 square miles, was of high strategic and geopolitical importance for the Kingdom due to its geographical location linking the three major continents.

“It has become necessary to provide an economic strategy for investment and development cooperation between the countries of the alliance and other countries which share common economic interests,” he said, adding: “It is as well important to take advantage of the available opportunities to create partnerships and establish joint projects and investments that stimulate economic progress and development.”

The Saudi minister recounted that the idea of forming a regional cooperation framework in this particular region dated back to 1956, when Saudi Arabia hosted a tripartite summit in Jeddah, with the participation of King Saud bin Abdulaziz, President Jamal Abdel Nasser, and Imam Ahmed bin Yahya.

The meeting saw the adoption of the Jeddah Charter, in which Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Yemen agreed to establish a joint security system, the implementation of which was later obstructed by the political conditions that rocked the region at the time.

Years later, in 1972, the Kingdom organized a meeting in Jeddah, with the participation of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Yemen. The joint statement affirmed the rights of these countries to the deep mineral resources of the Red Sea.

In 1974, Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with Sudan on the joint exploitation of natural resources at the bottom of the Red Sea, which resulted in the establishment of the Saudi-Sudanese Joint Commission in 1975.

The following year, in 1976, a tripartite summit was held in Jeddah in the presence of King Khalid bin Abdulaziz, President Anwar Sadat, and President Jaafar al-Numairi. They agreed on the need for military coordination in the Red Sea or the formation of a unified military committee, along with the announcement of a joint defense agreement between Egypt and Sudan.

In the wake of security incidents in the region in the beginning of the 1980s and the high pollution rate that threatened marine navigation and the environment, Saudi Arabia intensified its efforts and succeeded in 1982 in the adoption of the Jeddah Agreement for Arab Security and the Environment, which was also signed by Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, and Yemen.

In 2018, the Kingdom hosted the Ministerial Meeting of the Red Sea Countries and has since maintained its work to enhance regional security coordination and cooperation, Kattan told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Red Sea - which has a coastline of about 5,500 km, an average amplitude of about 300 km and a depth of 2,500 meters, and encompasses around 1,150 islands – enjoys a unique strategic, commercial, economic, and security importance since ancient times, the Saudi minister noted.

He added that the new alliance was the result of the urgent need of the region's countries for more cooperation and political coordination.

On a different note, Kattan underlined Saudi Arabia’s “efforts to resolve differences between brothers in Africa.” He said that the Kingdom has harnessed its pioneering Islamic role in this regard, pointing out that the first result of those efforts was the historic peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea.



Syrian Minister of Economy: Sanctions Relief Tied to Reforms

Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar standing in line outside Al-Razi Bakery in Aleppo Province, listening to citizens’ concerns (Facebook page). 
Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar standing in line outside Al-Razi Bakery in Aleppo Province, listening to citizens’ concerns (Facebook page). 
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Syrian Minister of Economy: Sanctions Relief Tied to Reforms

Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar standing in line outside Al-Razi Bakery in Aleppo Province, listening to citizens’ concerns (Facebook page). 
Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar standing in line outside Al-Razi Bakery in Aleppo Province, listening to citizens’ concerns (Facebook page). 

Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar stated that while the serious lifting of US sanctions on Syria could gradually yield positive results for the country’s economy, expectations must remain realistic, as rebuilding trust in the Syrian economy is essential.

In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Shaar described the removal of sanctions as a necessary first step toward eliminating the obstacles that have long hindered Syria’s economic recovery. Although the immediate impact will likely be limited, he noted that in the medium term, improvements in trade activity and the resumption of some banking transactions could help create a more favorable environment for investment and production.

The breakthrough came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman successfully facilitated a thaw in relations between Washington and Damascus, ultimately convincing the US president to lift sanctions on Syria. During his historic visit to Saudi Arabia last Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced he would order the removal of all sanctions on Syria to “give it a chance to thrive”—a move seen as a major opportunity for the country to begin a new chapter.

Al-Shaar cautioned, however, that Syrians should not expect an immediate improvement in living standards. “We need to manage the post-sanctions phase with an open and pragmatic economic mindset,” he said, stressing that real progress will only come if sanctions relief is accompanied by meaningful economic reforms, increased transparency, and support for the business climate.

He added that Syrians will begin to feel the difference when the cost of living declines and job opportunities grow—an outcome that requires time, planning, and stability.

According to Al-Shaar, the first tangible benefits of lifting sanctions are likely to be seen in the banking and trade sectors, through facilitated financial transfers, improved access to essential goods, and lower transportation and import costs. “We may also see initial interest from investors who were previously deterred by legal restrictions,” he said. “But it’s important to emphasize that political openness alone isn’t enough—there must also be genuine economic openness from within.”

He also underscored the importance of regional support, saying that any positive role played by neighboring countries in encouraging the US to lift sanctions and normalize ties with Damascus “must be met with appreciation and cooperation.” Al-Shaar emphasized that robust intra-Arab economic relations should form a cornerstone of any reconstruction phase. “We need an economic approach that is open to the Arab world, and we could see strategic partnerships that reignite the national economy—especially through the financing of major infrastructure and development projects.”

When asked whether he expects a surge in Arab and foreign investment following the lifting of sanctions, Al-Shaar responded: “Yes, there is growing interest in investing in Syria, and several companies have already entered the market. But investors first and foremost seek legal certainty and political guarantees.” He explained that investment is not driven solely by the removal of sanctions, but by the presence of an encouraging institutional environment. “If we can enhance transparency, streamline procedures, and ensure stability, we will gradually see greater capital inflows—especially in the service, industrial, and agricultural sectors.”

As for which countries may play a significant role in Syria’s reconstruction, Al-Shaar said: “Countries with long-term interests in regional stability will be at the forefront of the rebuilding process. But we must first rebuild our internal foundations and develop an economic model capable of attracting partners under balanced conditions—ones that protect economic sovereignty and promote inclusive development.”

The minister concluded by stressing that lifting sanctions, while significant, is not the end of the crisis. “Rather, it may mark the beginning of a new phase—one filled with challenges,” he said. “The greatest challenge isn’t securing funding, but managing resources wisely, upholding the principles of productivity, justice, and transparency. We need a proactive—not reactive—economy. We must restore the value of work and implement policies that put people at the center of development. Only then can we say we are beginning to emerge from the bottleneck.”

Last Wednesday, Riyadh hosted a landmark meeting between the Crown Prince, Trump, and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa—marking the first meeting between a Syrian and a US president since Hafez Al-Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000.

Most US sanctions on Syria were imposed after the outbreak of the country’s conflict in 2011. These targeted deposed President Bashar Al-Assad, members of his family, and various political and economic figures. In 2020, additional sanctions came into effect under the Caesar Act, targeting Assad’s inner circle and imposing severe penalties on any entity or company dealing with the Syrian regime. The Act also sanctioned Syria’s construction, oil, and gas sectors and prohibited US funding for reconstruction—while exempting humanitarian organizations operating in the country.