As conflict impacts the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is receiving military advice and training from Syria as the kingdom faces attacks from Yemen's Houthi movement, according to sources.
According to reports citing two Syrian military sources and a senior United States official, a limited number of military personnel have arrived in the kingdom in recent weeks. The US official stated that advisers and training teams from Syria are traveling to Saudi Arabia to help train Saudi and Yemeni units inside the kingdom to improve their combat effectiveness. Meanwhile, the two Syrian sources with direct knowledge of the matter indicated that scores of military personnel had gone to Saudi Arabia, and that while advisory and training work was involved, their mandate could be broader.
Responding to a request for comment, a senior Syrian diplomat told Business Recorder that "any suggestion of military deployments at this stage is premature", and that Syria’s focus remained on internal security, protecting its borders and reconstruction. The diplomat said a Syrian-Saudi defense cooperation deal signed on Wednesday "specifically includes advisory support, training and exchange of expertise".
Background
Hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis intensified in July, when the Yemen war was reignited by the wider conflict in the Middle East, leading Riyadh to seek defensive and offensive support from a range of allies, according to the sources. Syria's military personnel became battle-hardened in years of war.
Why it matters
For observers in Pakistan, shifts in Middle Eastern security alliances carry broad geopolitical and economic implications, particularly concerning regional stability and energy supply routes. As diplomatic and military cooperation evolves between key capitals, regional economies monitor these developments closely for signs of broader stabilization or shifting power dynamics.
What's next
According to the sources, Iran's foreign minister says talks with Saudi Arabia are ongoing, while fighting in Yemen intensifies.