Syria Provides Saudi Arabia with Military Advice and Training Amid Houthi Attacks

Syria is providing Saudi Arabia with military advice and training as Riyadh faces escalating attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, with a limited number of Syrian military personnel reportedly deployed to the kingdom, according to two Syrian military sources and a senior US official.

Saudi Arabia has faced growing hostilities with the Houthis since July, following the resurgence of the Yemen conflict amid the wider Middle East war. Riyadh has consequently sought defensive and offensive military assistance from several allies.

A senior US official said Syrian military advisers and training teams were travelling to Saudi Arabia to help train Saudi and Yemeni forces stationed inside the kingdom, aiming to strengthen their combat capabilities. Two Syrian military sources, who have direct knowledge of the matter, said dozens of Syrian military personnel had arrived in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Their responsibilities include advisory and training activities, although their mandate could potentially expand.

However, a senior Syrian diplomat described reports of military deployments as premature, stressing that Damascus remained focused on domestic security, border protection and reconstruction.

The diplomat confirmed that a defence cooperation agreement signed between Syria and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday includes military advice, training and the exchange of expertise. A senior Saudi official said the cooperation primarily aims to restructure Syria's military forces but acknowledged that Syrian partners could also share their battlefield experience in fighting armed groups.

The Saudi official added that joint military exercises were already underway, with further security and defence training activities planned.

The defence agreement was signed during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Riyadh, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the second time in less than a month. No specific details of the agreement were publicly disclosed.

Meanwhile, Washington has urged Damascus to proceed cautiously, warning that any Syrian military deployment in support of the Yemen war could draw the country into the broader regional conflict, something Syria has so far sought to avoid.

Neither the Saudi government nor Syria's Defence Ministry, the US State Department, Yemen's Saudi-backed government or the Houthis responded to requests for comment.

Mecca Defence Pact

Syria has strengthened its ties with Saudi Arabia and the United States since rebel forces led by al-Sharaa ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Iran, in 2024.

Syria's restructured military largely consists of former rebel fighters who spent years battling Assad's forces and Iran-backed armed groups that supported his government.

Separately, Turkey on Thursday ratified a defence agreement signed in Mecca in August between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, paving the way for Ankara to provide military support to Riyadh.

A senior Syrian diplomat indicated that the recently signed Saudi-Syrian agreement could eventually develop into broader defence cooperation, potentially incorporating arrangements similar to the Mecca pact.

The Wednesday agreement establishes a broad framework for military cooperation alongside several other agreements and memorandums of understanding covering sectors such as finance and agriculture.

As part of the broader cooperation, the Saudi Fund for Development signed six agreements with Syria's Finance Ministry to provide more than $403 million in concessional development loans. The funding will support development projects and essential services in Syria, which continues to face severe economic challenges and reconstruction costs estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars.

Since the Yemen conflict intensified, the Houthis have captured territory in several areas previously controlled by government forces, while Yemeni government troops have made limited advances elsewhere.

The Houthis have also launched missile attacks targeting Saudi airports and oil facilities, prompting Saudi Arabia to carry out airstrikes in support of its Yemeni allies.

Reuters reported in October that Syria was considering military assistance to Saudi Arabia, with options including defensive support to protect the kingdom from attacks and the possible deployment of troops to assist Saudi-backed Yemeni forces fighting the Houthis.

Speaking at a recent conference in Bahrain, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions were ongoing regarding Syria's possible participation in the Mecca defence pact.

He stressed that Damascus considers the security of the Arab Gulf an integral part of regional security and stands alongside Gulf governments and their populations against regional threats and cross-border armed groups.