Saudi sources said on the 4th Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a defense
cooperation agreement between their defense ministries during the visit to
Riyadh by Syria’s transitional government president Ahmad Shala; details were
not disclosed. Shala met Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman —
their second Riyadh meeting in under a month — and Syria began last month to
cautiously weigh providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia. The pact was
announced as Yemen’s Houthi militants continue missile and drone attacks on
Saudi territory; Riyadh is seeking offensive and defensive support from the
United States, European states and regional partners.
