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00:00:11Heading a high-level delegation, reason, relations with Iranian policies in
00:00:15its security, only. We put this His Excellency President Ahmed Al-Shara in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
00:00:19This visit is the second within a
00:00:22single month, and this
00:00:26is something that means a lot to Syrians.
00:00:31It differs. We have new data in From Damascus to Riyadh,
00:00:34alliances in history is re-writing
00:00:38of the map of alliances in business sector development. Is this description correct? its balances in the region, and the regional compass points to the station of major
00:00:41partnership. Talking about major partnership here
00:00:46Professor Salman, to this means talking about a delegation that included ministers of foreign affairs,
00:00:49defense, finance,
00:00:52industry, and the head of general intelligence.
00:00:56Some say these are
00:00:59Ahmed Al-Shara to Riyadh? Thank you for the features of a new phase. A completely new phase is being drawn today.
00:01:02A phase that will take
00:01:03as well as the the two countries from
00:01:05international situation the shore of political coordination to the depth of strategic
00:01:08and developmental partnership. This opinion is supported by
00:01:12what was announced about
00:01:15discussing multiple
00:01:17practices in and vital topics, and
00:01:21the size of the open files on
00:01:24the table between
00:01:25threats from the two countries. On the table today, in today's
00:01:29episode, we ask what this accelerated pace of
00:01:32meetings means. How
00:01:35will this partnership reflect on the path of
00:01:38economic recovery and reconstruction in Syria?
00:01:42What about the talk of Syria joining the Mecca alliance?
00:01:46And are we facing the formulation of
00:01:49that is being cooked on a slow fire and will redraw
00:01:52the rules of stability in
00:01:55expected more from the region? In today's episode, we will try
00:01:57to delve into the dimensions of the Syrian- Saudi
00:02:00rapprochement and read into
00:02:04the messages of the large Syrian delegation and the future of
00:02:06strategic
00:02:09and can see this partnership the humanitarian level, let's touch upon between Syria and Saudi Arabia. Welcome.
00:02:12outcomes as well. At
00:02:25to maintain security will reflect
00:02:29Welcome, then. President Ahmed Al-Shara met with Saudi Crown
00:02:32Prince Mohammed bin Salman
00:02:34This program in the Saudi capital Riyadh,
00:02:37with the presence of a number of ministers and senior
00:02:41officials from both sides,
00:02:43or memorandums of understanding that were signed in where they discussed bilateral relations and regional
00:02:46and international developments and enhancing cooperation
00:02:49between the two sisterly countries in
00:02:55regional security it was announced that a number of agreements various fields, in addition to emphasizing the importance of enhancing were indeed signed at Al-Imamah Palace in security and stability in
00:02:58then return to open the discussion on the table.
00:03:01Damascus
00:03:04and Riyadh: A broad title that summarizes the distances of
00:03:07history, geography, and common relations,
00:03:10number of agreements were signed with and sets the compass
00:03:13of understanding into a founding contract on to a station where politics intersects with economic
00:03:16the agreements that were concluded in figures and the obsession of development. In the Saudi
00:03:18capital, President Ahmed Al-Shara met with Saudi Crown Prince
00:03:22Mohammed bin Salman in an official
00:03:27with the Syrian be political impetus, visit, the second within one month, and at the head of a high-level delegation. The delegation included
00:03:30the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Finance, and Industry,
00:03:33in addition to the head of the General Intelligence Service. The composition
00:03:37in a briefcase and come to you. This of this delegation is nothing but a mirror of the expanding
00:03:40scope of issues on the table, as it confirms, beyond any doubt,
00:03:44that Damascus and Riyadh have left the square of
00:03:47traditional diplomatic coordination to the space of multi-track
00:03:50institutional
00:03:52work.
00:03:55The scene did not stop at
00:03:57some militias and factions in political movement, as the package of agreements that
00:04:00are expected to be announced in various sectors
00:04:03clearly inaugurates a unique development path,
00:04:07its most prominent title being to move rapprochement from the rooms of
00:04:10diplomacy to the books of joint
00:04:14I mean, makes it bear part of the responsibility investment and sovereign
00:04:18through cooperation with in partnerships. And here, perhaps, the scale of Saudi confidence emerges in the equation of Syrian recovery,
00:04:21as Riyadh has had many remarkable positions towards
00:04:25Syria since the liberation of the country, while Syria, with its
00:04:28political position and its environment that
00:04:31awaits the influx of investments, and the diversity
00:04:34of the Syrian delegation is nothing but a practical translation
00:04:37of the expanding scope of Syrian relations in
00:04:40Arab and regional files.
00:04:44However, the real test for all this diplomatic
00:04:47on, or rather, consequences engineering does
00:04:48on the region, on politics in not lie in the eloquence of texts nor in the multitude
00:04:51of agreements, but rather in the efficiency of field implementation
00:04:55and paving the way for the flow of capital,
00:04:57as major partnerships are not enough with good intentions,
00:05:01but rather need to measure the size of the real,
00:05:04tangible impact they
00:05:06leave on the ground.
00:05:08This
00:05:11is, therefore, an important visit by
00:05:14President Ahmed Al-Shara, accompanied by a high-level
00:05:18delegation, as we said, to the Saudi capital Riyadh, and it is
00:05:22the second visit within one month
00:05:27topic on the table and discuss it with our
00:05:30distinguished guests. With us is the Senior Researcher at the Arab Center for Contemporary Studies,
00:05:33Dr. Samir Abdullah. Welcome, Dr. Samir, to this episode.
00:05:37We also have with us Professor Ahmed Qassem, political analyst. Welcome,
00:05:41Professor Ahmed, to this discussion. We also have Dr. Khaled
00:05:44Al-Khun, consultant in
00:05:48Welcome, Dr. Khaled, with us. From Riyadh,
00:05:51we also have Professor Salman Al-Shureidah, political
00:05:54writer. Welcome,
00:05:58discussion on the table. Dr.
00:06:01Samir, what are the most important dimensions that can be read from this
00:06:04second visit within one month
00:06:08only by President
00:06:11hosting me, and my greetings to you, the esteemed viewers,
00:06:14and the honorable guests. Certainly, Syrian-Saudi
00:06:17relations, especially after the liberation, are
00:06:20important relations and have taken an important angle in Syrian
00:06:23foreign policy. A quarter of the statements
00:06:26issued by the Syrian Foreign Ministry concern Saudi Arabia, especially
00:06:30the violations of Iranian attacks on Saudi territory,
00:06:33and 10% of the meetings of Foreign Minister Shibani
00:06:37were with Saudi parties, and 5% of President Al-Shara's
00:06:41meetings were also with Saudi parties. So,
00:06:44it has taken an important angle in Syrian
00:06:48foreign policy. It has moved from the quick
00:06:51contact that took place and the resumption of communication that took place before
00:06:54the liberation with the Assad regime to building a strategic
00:06:57partnership at multiple levels,
00:07:00political, security, and economic levels, and other
00:07:03such issues. Certainly, there have been many visits.
00:07:07The first visit of President Al-Shara abroad was to the Kingdom
00:07:10of Saudi Arabia. This is an important indication of the importance
00:07:14of this Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. What
00:07:18is happening now in the region certainly has
00:07:21importance in this visit, especially the regional developments, Netanyahu's
00:07:25loss in the elections, the Republicans' loss in the United
00:07:28States of America. Perhaps we will witness
00:07:32elections, meaning he cannot form
00:07:35a government alone yet. Perhaps we will have current
00:07:38indications in Israel and in America. Perhaps
00:07:41we will have a new shape for the region or developments. Therefore,
00:07:45Syrian-Saudi coordination, as well as Syrian coordination with other
00:07:49countries in the region, is very important at this stage, in addition to
00:07:53the economic situation and the agreements
00:07:55that are expected to result from this
00:07:59visit. Coordination, as we mentioned, is
00:08:02the most important. A little while ago,
00:08:07Saudi Arabia. Syria needs these agreements, especially
00:08:11if they include financial topics for projects
00:08:15and issues that move production in Syria.
00:08:18In July 2025, a large
00:08:22Saudi companies, valued at $6 billion.
00:08:26Perhaps there were a number of challenges in the past period
00:08:30that hindered the implementation of many projects.
00:08:33Therefore, we must re-evaluate what has happened and there must
00:08:38especially at the level of the Syrian
00:08:42presidency, as well as Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to push
00:08:45these projects forward. Okay, Professor
00:08:48Ahmed, what do you read in the dimensions of the visit,
00:08:52both in terms of timing, and as we mentioned earlier, this is
00:08:55the second visit within a month, and in terms of the nature
00:08:59of the delegation that went to Riyadh? In its context,
00:09:02of course, initially in terms of time, we are talking about
00:09:06two visits that were, in a short
00:09:08time. This is a remarkable matter, of course, initially.
00:09:13And also, if we take it into the current regional context
00:09:16and the repercussions in the region, and at their forefront, as Dr.
00:09:19Samir mentioned earlier, the issue of elections in
00:09:23Israel. Of course, this is also a very important issue now
00:09:27the - I mean, if we want to talk about
00:09:31the state of regional security and stability, and we know
00:09:35the recklessness that, of course, the government of the Zionist
00:09:38entity is currently practicing, and its attempt to undermine stability and security.
00:09:42The region in general. Also,
00:09:46the issue of American elections and their repercussions
00:09:49and their effects on the region. We know that
00:09:53the Democrats and the results of the midterm elections
00:09:56will have repercussions
00:10:01the region, partially, certainly, of course. Well, we will probably
00:10:04return during this impact. You are talking here about
00:10:08the American Congress, meaning there are decisions that must
00:10:11be made. Now, questions are being asked: will there be a significant
00:10:14impact? Where will it be? What is the nature
00:10:17of the expected impact on the Democrats in the United
00:10:21States of America? If we were - I mean, all observers
00:10:25know that they always leaned towards Iran and always
00:10:29supported the Iranian alliance and that they always supported
00:10:34the region. And here, in fact, a very
00:10:37important and dangerous point now when we talk about new
00:10:40support that Iran may receive in the region, and we see how
00:10:44after Iran's project in the region
00:10:47receded after the victory of the blessed Syrian
00:10:51revolution, of course, this
00:10:54victory led to the receding of this project, a major change in the map of
00:10:59the region. We saw the speed even in the change
00:11:03the region. The new regional situation due to
00:11:06Syria regaining its true role, which
00:11:09it was deprived of for more than six decades. In fact, this
00:11:13regaining of this role is a very important issue, of course.
00:11:17Also, when we talk about the big brother in the region, which is
00:11:20the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the strategic weight
00:11:24it enjoys. The regional situation,
00:11:30in the international community, and the dangers that now
00:11:34also threaten the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
00:11:37and the Arabian Gulf in general. Also, as a result of Iranian
00:11:42the war, I mean, Iran was targeting the Arab Gulf states.
00:11:46It targeted them with missiles many more times, dozens
00:11:50of times more than it targeted, according to its claim,
00:11:52Israel. So, the matter here is that we are facing
00:11:55great challenges, very dangerous regional challenges.
00:11:59We are talking now about the regional
00:12:03climate. Israel is trying to tamper
00:12:06with regional security now. It is trying to implement what it had been planning
00:12:10and aspiring to previously, which is to make the buffer states surrounding
00:12:13the Zionist entity weak, fragmented states
00:12:16to facilitate complete dominance over them. Okay, Professor
00:12:20Khaled, now Dr. Samir used the term
00:12:23"strategic partnership" to describe the relations between
00:12:27Syria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. How does
00:12:30this partnership on the economic side reflect? What
00:12:34has been achieved so far in terms of economic cooperation
00:12:38between Syria and Saudi Arabia during the past period? And also,
00:12:41regarding the agreements that were announced to be
00:12:43signed, what do the nature of these announced agreements
00:12:47indicate? Good evening to you and to our
00:12:51colleagues and the esteemed viewers.
00:12:53Let me use the term "partnership" that our colleague,
00:12:57Professor and Doctor, brought up and elaborated
00:13:00on.
00:13:03Saudi-Syrian relations witnessed a state of severe
00:13:07fluctuations during the era of the defunct regime
00:13:11and before the defunct
00:13:13regime. Then the blessed Syrian
00:13:16revolution began, and then
00:13:20Saudi support for the paths of the revolution
00:13:23and for supporting the Syrian people
00:13:25came. And
00:13:27after, us with the current political
00:13:30phase. The first visitors from
00:13:34among the first political visitors to Syria was His Royal
00:13:38Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on January
00:13:4125, 2025. That is,
00:13:44practically a month or a little
00:13:47more after the issue, and it resulted in meetings
00:13:52political leadership, and then
00:13:55there was a visit by His Excellency President Ahmed Al-Shara
00:13:59in February, in early February of the
00:14:03same year, 2025. Well, if we have
00:14:06drawn a stability indicator for this matter, then Saudi-Syrian
00:14:09relations were distorted and corrected
00:14:13during the current Syrian political system's phase.
00:14:17Well, and now they have entered a growth phase, of relations
00:14:20and growing brotherhood within the partnership
00:14:23indicator that you mentioned.
00:14:27Of course, Saudi Arabia is currently working silently and calmly to provide
00:14:30support to Syria in all its forms at the humanitarian
00:14:34level, of course. Silently and calmly to
00:14:37provide - how silently and calmly? What do you mean?
00:14:41Today, the paths of support have
00:14:44their political methods and their
00:14:47strategies in work. So, always
00:14:50the work of providing support
00:14:53to regimes and providing political support should be through alliances,
00:14:56strategies, and plans built between the two countries.
00:15:00And therefore, now the support that
00:15:03Saudi Arabia is quietly providing is within the agreed-upon paths
00:15:06and is not a support that is, I mean, quietly
00:15:10understood, but silently? Silently means unannounced?
00:15:13No, the announced support is certainly fully announced,
00:15:17but not all forms of support are announced
00:15:20support, to be honest. Okay,
00:15:24I am speaking about the economic aspect, and without a doubt, it is announced support,
00:15:27and in the humanitarian aspect, it is also announced support.
00:15:31If we want to talk about Saudi support, Saudi support
00:15:35for Syria combines humanitarian and political dimensions,
00:15:38and strategic dimensions. It stems from a comprehensive vision for regional
00:15:42stability. Saudi support in the economic aspect, you are talking
00:15:46about. Yes, we will talk about the economic
00:15:49aspect, and we will talk about the outcomes
00:15:52of the current visit. Outcomes of the visit. Did we learn anything about
00:15:56the areas in which agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed? Let me talk
00:15:59about indicators in this regard. What are the indicators? First,
00:16:02yesterday there was a meeting between the Minister
00:16:06of Industry and Trade, the Interior,
00:16:09and the Saudi Ambassador, and they discussed
00:16:12signing an industrial cooperation agreement between the two countries.
00:16:16And the current visit is within this matter. Something was signed
00:16:20that includes the process of industrial
00:16:22development. The other matter is industrial
00:16:26financing. The third matter is the establishment of industrial cities.
00:16:29the visit, of course, we are witnessing, as
00:16:33you mentioned, the visit of several ministers
00:16:37with the President during this visit. Of course, each minister
00:16:40has specific tasks and within the framework of
00:16:43follow-up, and practically this visit, as your esteemed guests mentioned,
00:16:47is not a visit that is separate from the previous
00:16:51visit, and the current visit is not separate from the one
00:16:54before it. So, it is a reception. It is not separate, but how is it
00:16:57connected? It is connected in following up on plans, curricula,
00:17:01and outcomes, evaluating them, and re-drawing new paths in
00:17:04the developments occurring in the region. This is what is reflected
00:17:08today regarding the visit. If we talk a little
00:17:12about the outcomes, I mean, is there anything new now in
00:17:15this visit that differs from the previous visit? Of course, what is
00:17:19the most important difference here? Let's talk about two days ago, the Ministry of Industry
00:17:23officially laid the foundation stone for the project of the Medical and Health Education Center, with a value
00:17:26of $2.7 million. Let's talk about numerical indicators that allow
00:17:30doctors and nurses to update their information and develop their skills in
00:17:33fever. This is part of the support from King Salman Center for
00:17:38matter, and this is a matter
00:17:40that is being implemented on the ground today. Today, regarding
00:17:46the humanitarian aspect and from it the economic
00:17:49the humanitarian level, the King Salman
00:17:53Relief Center launched 61 medical
00:17:56and development projects. And it also provided
00:17:59aid that included 18 planes, 808
00:18:02trucks containing raw materials
00:18:05and many aids. Then the Saudi
00:18:08"Amal" volunteer program was launched.
00:18:12carried out 2060 operations.
00:18:15It performed joint and prosthetic limb
00:18:19surgeries. Let's not delve too much into the details, Dr.
00:18:22Khaled. Now, Syrian-Saudi economic cooperation,
00:18:26yes. Where has it reached? Yes. Has it reached
00:18:30a stage that satisfies both the Syrian and Saudi sides?
00:18:33Where does it originally start from in general?
00:18:37What is also expected during the coming period regarding
00:18:41economic cooperation between the two sides? Syrian-Saudi
00:18:44economic cooperation is cooperation
00:18:47in three phases. First, it is cooperation
00:18:50to implement
00:18:54the past year, which are partnership agreements,
00:18:57industrial and commercial
00:18:59and investment and telecommunications agreements, and infrastructure agreements
00:19:03that were made. Now, work is being done to implement
00:19:06their outcomes. Well, and has anything been achieved on the ground? Among them are Riyadh
00:19:09cables, the STC project, the Seelink project,
00:19:13and also projects related
00:19:16to health support and, sorry, industrial
00:19:20and agricultural support, and real estate projects such
00:19:24as Bayat Hills and others. Excellent. We will return to these details during
00:19:27the discussion, Professor Khaled. Professor Salman,
00:19:31how did you follow the visit, its proceedings,
00:19:34its timing, what resulted from it, what has been announced
00:19:38so far? What are the most important indicators for
00:19:41you? Good evening to you and to
00:19:44the esteemed viewers and your honorable guests. I believe
00:19:47that the importance of President Ahmed
00:19:51Al-Shara's visit to Riyadh stems from a fundamental
00:19:54question: how can Syria transform its
00:19:58Arab relations into a force that helps it
00:20:01regain its well-being, and how can
00:20:04Saudi support reflect on the security of Syrians, their lives,
00:20:08and the future of their state? From this perspective, I see
00:20:11that we are facing an important visit in
00:20:14its timing, in the level of representation, and in the nature
00:20:18of the files that the Syrian
00:20:21delegation carries. Syria needs
00:20:24today to make progress in more than one track at the same
00:20:27time, meaning through building
00:20:30institutions, establishing security, stimulating the economy,
00:20:34improving services, and protecting the unity of the country
00:20:37and its sovereignty. And every track affects the other,
00:20:41naturally. Investment
00:20:44needs security and reliable institutions,
00:20:47and institutions need resources and competencies,
00:20:51and citizens need to feel that stability gives them an opportunity
00:20:54for work and a dignified life. And for this
00:20:59Saudi Arabia gain their importance. I believe, when
00:21:02- when - I mean, through
00:21:06what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia truly possesses in political
00:21:09and economic weight and the ability to build partnerships and mobilize
00:21:13regional and international attention. And I believe that Syria
00:21:16today deserves to be supported and stood by,
00:21:20and solidarity. Truly, Syria
00:21:23is a very important country due to its geopolitical location,
00:21:26and also due to its people who have suffered for many
00:21:30years and need a lot of support, truly,
00:21:33and they deserve that. A people who truly
00:21:37have many skills and important human resources.
00:21:40Also, they truly have what they can
00:21:43offer, both to the region and even internally.
00:21:47And what distinguishes, I believe, from what I read in this visit,
00:21:50Saudi-Syrian relations today, in my estimation,
00:21:54is the existence of a wide space for the convergence
00:21:57of interests. I believe that Syrians, I mean,
00:22:00want a state that regains its capabilities to protect its land
00:22:03and serve its people, and it is in Saudi Arabia's interest that its
00:22:07Arab surroundings are stable and that it is a state capable
00:22:11of bearing its responsibilities and preventing
00:22:15cross-border expansion. This convergence
00:22:19can give the relationship continuity and depth,
00:22:22especially when it transforms into cooperation between
00:22:26institutions and projects that truly benefit
00:22:29people. And, I
00:22:32believe, when I read the warm
00:22:36welcome for President Ahmed Al-Shara from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin
00:22:39Salman, I believe it is a description of appreciation
00:22:43and interest and an indicator that the positive
00:22:46atmosphere between the two leaders and the image
00:22:50have a great impact, truly. The Syrian citizen
00:22:53today yearns to restore
00:22:56his country to its place
00:22:59celebration as a sign of attention and also attention to Syria
00:23:03and its future. Also, trust between the two leaders
00:23:07helps in discussing complex files, truly,
00:23:11with frankness and with what is the most important cooperation
00:23:14between officials, meaning with strength.
00:23:17With very important strength. What are the most important complex
00:23:21files here? I believe there are many complex
00:23:24files, whether related to Syria's security
00:23:27in the first place. There will certainly be cooperation, meaning
00:23:31there will be security cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Syria regarding
00:23:35the cooperation that grants Syria
00:23:38its ability to protect itself and protect its sovereignty,
00:23:42in addition to its role in
00:23:45and regional stability. We know today, here
00:23:49the question now is, how does
00:23:52Saudi Arabia view Syria's role in the issue of regional
00:23:56security? How does it evaluate it?
00:23:59Syria's geographical location is very important. We,
00:24:03I mean, we have had, over the past years,
00:24:07knowledge of the importance of Syria's
00:24:10stability. When Syria was suffering,
00:24:13truly, from significant breaches,
00:24:17whether from the Iranian side or the Russian side, or
00:24:20even groups, or even
00:24:23the rebellion of some forces affiliated
00:24:27with the defunct regime, there was
00:24:30truly, and those who suffered
00:24:33directly from this, truly, were the Syrian people, without a doubt.
00:24:36But it also reflected on the security and stability of the region
00:24:40through Iran's expansionist practices, through
00:24:43supporting
00:24:47Iraq or Lebanon. And Syria was also a passage
00:24:50for this,
00:24:53I mean, Iranian support for these groups.
00:24:57And that is why I believe that its very important geopolitical location
00:25:01today,
00:25:04for regional security, truly,
00:25:08reliable partners. And the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia always seeks
00:25:11to achieve regional security and stability. Also,
00:25:15today, Syria also, I mean, truly faces,
00:25:18from time to time, attempts to question
00:25:22its ability to protect its security and sovereignty
00:25:26through, I mean, Israel's targeting of it, through
00:25:29also some of its neighbors when there are, I mean,
00:25:33certain targetings. Many
00:25:36complex security files. I do not want to
00:25:40go into their details, but I believe that it is very
00:25:43important for Syria to regain its well-being
00:25:47and regain its strength, truly, so that it can be
00:25:50a more influential state in a positive way. It is very
00:25:54important. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, without a doubt, has a great
00:25:58influence on the region and at the international level in all aspects.
00:26:01Excellent. I believe, I believe that the Saudi
00:26:05leadership believes in the importance
00:26:08of having strong partners in the region as well. And that is why
00:26:12it grants this ability to
00:26:15Syria to regain stability, and economy.
00:26:18And I believe these are all interconnected files. Okay,
00:26:22Dr. Samir, now this visit differs
00:26:25from previous visits, the last of which was
00:26:28less than a month ago, in terms of timing.
00:26:34the region, I mean, this data needs
00:26:37discussion and coordination between the two parties and
00:26:41between all countries in the region as well. In terms of the nature of the delegation
00:26:45and the agreements that will be signed during this visit.
00:26:48There is talk about $400 million,
00:26:52but it is a loan, not a Saudi grant. I mean, the issue of talking
00:26:56about Saudi support, certainly, the Kingdom of Saudi
00:26:59Arabia is thanked for all it has provided. $400 million,
00:27:03$400 million. $4003. These are loans.
00:27:07A loan. One loan during this visit.
00:27:10A loan, I mean, in the end, it is not a grant. So, here the Kingdom of Saudi
00:27:14Arabia is thanked for what it has provided, but when we compare what Saudi
00:27:17Arabia has provided to Syria, for example, compared to what it has provided to other
00:27:21countries, for example, Egypt in 2013 or even after,
00:27:24it is limited support. Some salaries
00:27:26provided millions as salaries for employees
00:27:30and now there is a provision for
00:27:32loans. Certainly, political support was great, and thanks to Prince
00:27:36Mohammed bin Salman, as well as the Turkish President and the Qatari Emir, many
00:27:40sanctions were lifted. Humanitarian support is good, but
00:27:44the issue of economic relations, in my opinion, needs
00:27:47reassessment from both sides. This means that Saudi support
00:27:50so far has been limited from the economic side, not within
00:27:54what was expected. The Syrian people
00:27:58the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Certainly, there are regional circumstances, and even circumstances
00:28:01within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the war with, or the war in
00:28:05the Gulf region, the war on Iran, certainly played a significant
00:28:08role. It plays a role in this matter, whether
00:28:12the support was limited or larger than that,
00:28:15according to what was expected. No, I believe the calculations
00:28:18of the Syrian Arab Kingdom of Saudi Arabia want Syria to be strong,
00:28:22because the ability of the Syrian state and its ability
00:28:27on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, especially limiting Iranian
00:28:31militias, Hezbollah, and other militias that were
00:28:34threatening all countries in the region. So far, the support
00:28:38is less than expected, in my opinion, yes. Less than expected, and even
00:28:41many of the agreements that were signed
00:28:45the past year, estimated at six billion dollars, many
00:28:49of them have not been converted into agreements. There were
00:28:51many challenges for Saudi Arabia, and specifically
00:28:55for the Syrian domestic institution
00:28:58and governance, especially regarding laws.
00:29:08Many memorandums of understanding to agreements. Let me clarify something for you:
00:29:12converting a memorandum
00:29:15the ground has steps. One
00:29:18of the most important obstacles that existed during that period was
00:29:22the issue of American sanctions and the issue
00:29:25of the absence of SWIFT for
00:29:28financial transfers. So, you even need
00:29:31to transfer large sums of money. Today, the Kingdom of Saudi
00:29:35Arabia is a state of institutions. I mean, money doesn't come out
00:29:40money needs to be framed within its regulatory framework and transferred
00:29:44officially. Therefore, transferring money from
00:29:47Saudi accounts to Syrian accounts via
00:29:51SWIFT was hindered due to American sanctions
00:29:54and the suspension of the SWIFT system for financial transfers.
00:29:58This required issues related
00:30:01to compliance, verification of financial compliance,
00:30:05ensuring the legality of the entry of these funds and the legality
00:30:09of the execution of these funds within their outputs and contexts.
00:30:12So, today, let's talk about
00:30:15the issue. If we assume that the agreements, we put a speed indicator
00:30:19for completion, and we said that these agreements were signed today,
00:30:23and today we are in the final
00:30:26stages of the impact of sanctions, because all
00:30:30sanctions have effects and impact on policies.
00:30:33Therefore, if you signed these agreements today at this stage, the rate
00:30:37of their completion will be faster than the rate of their completion
00:30:41in the previous stage. Consequently,
00:30:44the obstacles are regulatory frameworks and not
00:30:47a lack of desire. We want, in general, that most memorandums
00:30:50of understanding, as you mentioned, were signed in 2025. There were
00:30:53high public expectations. No, I told him
00:30:56there are challenges, ultimately challenges within Saudi Arabia, and greater challenges within.