Key developments in Syria dominate discussions across several Arab capitals. Nine Arab countries gathered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to deliberate Syria’s possible return to the fold of the Arab League and the West. The Arab League, which expelled Syria in 2011 following a violent crackdown on protests, has observed a notable shift in Saudi foreign policy. Riyadh summoned ministers and senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council and invited counterparts from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, along with Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan, to a meeting on the Red Sea coast. This gathering came on the heels of a recent resumption of diplomatic ties with Iran, a breakthrough achieved with Chinese mediation.
“The main topic is Syria and the evolving views of Arab states about a potential return to the Arab League”, stated a spokesperson from the Qatari Foreign Ministry during the week. Majed Al-Ansari underscored that while there had been movements toward reconciliation, Qatar had not ruled out future steps. In the hours before the Jeddah talks, Qatar’s stance suggested a readiness to reassess its position, yet a full reintegration remained uncertain as events unfolded.
During a televised appearance, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, reiterated his opposition to normalizing relations with the Assad regime. He cited enduring concerns about human rights abuses, the ongoing displacement of civilians, and the persistence of political imprisonment. The premier emphasized that no solution should be imposed from above and that the Syrian people must guide any political resolution to their crisis.
Assad’s godfather
Across the region, many states have accelerated dialogue aimed at rebuilding ties with Damascus after more than a decade of boycott. Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing to invite President Assad to the Arab League summit planned in Riyadh, signaling a potential thaw in one of the longest-standing estrangements in the Arab world. While attendance would be symbolic, such a move would mark a significant milestone in Syria’s reintegration into regional diplomacy since its 2011 suspension.
Saudi Arabia appears determined to assume a leading role in shaping Syria’s regional trajectory. In parallel, Iran, a longtime ally of Damascus, has seen its own diplomatic path open up recently, with senior officials visiting the kingdom for the first time in years following a diplomatic rupture in 2012. In another signal of shifting lines, Syria and Tunisia announced plans to reopen embassies, a decade after Tunisia severed ties in protest of the crackdown on anti-Assad demonstrations. These steps collectively reflect a broader trend of realignment in the Arab world as governments weigh strategic interests, regional stability, and the consequences of ongoing conflict for their own populations and economies.