Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman witnessed the signing of several agreements, including a defense cooperation deal and more than US$ 403 million in loans for Syria’s energy, housing, health and infrastructure sectors.

The two countries’ defense ministries signed the agreement on Wednesday, according to the official Saudi agency. The Saudi Fund for Development loans include US$ 100 million to rebuild and equip damaged healthcare facilities, US$ 60 million to repair damaged housing, US$ 105 million to strengthen civil defense, US$ 90 million to rehabilitate the Aleppo thermal power plant and US$ 30 million for drinking water systems in Damascus and Idlib. The defense agreement came days after Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said his government was weighing whether to join a mutual defense pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.