Saudi Arabia, Syria Agrees on Reopening Consulates After 10 years

Saudi Arabia and Syria restart diplomatic ties that was dropped 10 years ago.
Riyadh and Damascus are riding on the wave created by Saudi's deal with Iran.
Middle East leaders are moving to have better ties with Aasad that will benefit Arab countries.

Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed to reopen consulates after differences had caused both to stop communicating.

This was revealed last Thursday which is another diplomatic coup in the Arab region marked by tension and differences which was fostered by the United States.

Saudi Arabia Restores Diplomatic Ties with Syria

The Kingdom goes on a wave of re-establishment of diplomatic ties after the Iran-Saudi deal brokered by Beijing is continuing with other ties reconnected, po reported Daily Sabah. Now it's Riyadh and Damascus linking arms as did Iran earlier.

The civil war started in 2011 and compromised Damascus's relationship with other Arab states that ended with Syrian President Bashar al Assadi becoming a Middle East pariah noted Zawya. It's different now as prominent Riyadh has reached out to Damascus as a partner. Even the west realizes the full impact of the Iran-Saudi deal has a domino effect that Washington is not dismissing

Both governments will be readying to open consulates after Eid al-Fitr in April stated a source close to Damascus cited by Reuters.

It was brought about by talks in the Kingdom conducted with senior Syrian intelligence officials alleged to include a diplomat privy to these developments. But no response from either the Syrians or Saudis has been issued thus far but no one was identified due to the subject.

Syria To Reopen Consulate in Saudi, Ending Isolation

Such development is a measure of how the Iran-Saudi deal is a major factor in how crises will be handled in the once-disunified region. It was rivalry between middle eastern players that added to the Syrian War.

Entities like the US and its allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar has supported those who oppose Assad. But the west and its ally's attempt to supplant Assad had failed and were defeated by Damascus with the help of Tehran and Moscow.

Before the deal, the US and KSA were opposed to allowing other nations willing to have ties with Assad. Washington has always played the human rights card. Any solution that did not include the US was not acceptable.

Syria Could Rejoin the Arab League

Another US partner in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates, has begun what is seen as formerly taboo. UAE leaders have chosen to seek ties with Damascus, and welcomed the Syrian leader and his wife when they visited Abu Dhabi.

In contrast, the Saudis are taking their time in establishing ties. A statement from a Gulf diplomat said that a top Syrian intelligence officer stayed a while in Riyadh until a deal was signed to restart diplomatic ties.

The official mentioned the Syrian intelligence chief, Hussam Louga, discussing the Jordan-Syrian border and the smuggling of a drug called captagon. There are many takers of the drug in the Arab Gulf to Syria.

Saudi's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud earlier in the month informed after discussing with Assad might be a return to the Arab League, but may come later not now.

In KSA, a summit for April is scheduled mentioned by a source that might remove the suspension of Damascus during the Arab Summit. UAE in 2018 said that Arabs need to open consulates to end the conflict.

The US is not pleased with Assad's re-entry and still keeps questionable sanctions that are a hindrance to commercial ventures.

Saudi Arabia and Syria are reopening consulates as the agreement dictates but it's a stretch with the US looking anxious as the Iran-Saudi deal is making massive changes in the Middle East.