As the war with Yemen continues to take a heavy toll on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure and other strategic assets, Riyadh is increasingly seeking external military and economic backing. In its latest move to secure support for its ongoing military campaign, Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a formal defense cooperation agreement on November 4. The deal marks a significant step in deepening ties between the two nations, as Riyadh looks to bolster its military capacity amid mounting pressure from Yemeni forces.

The agreement was signed during a visit to Riyadh by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, his second meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in less than a month. The visit also yielded six concessional loan agreements worth a combined total of more than $403 million.

While the exact terms of the military agreement were not disclosed, the development follows weeks of reports indicating a rapid expansion of defense collaboration between Riyadh and Damascus. According to earlier reports, Saudi and Syrian officials have been in discussions about deploying up to 20,000 Syrian troops to Yemen to support Saudi-led operations. This would represent a significant escalation of foreign involvement in the conflict, which has already drawn in a Saudi-led coalition.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) have continued to launch retaliatory strikes deep inside Saudi territory, targeting military reinforcements, airports, energy infrastructure, and oil facilities. YAF maintained that the attack on Saudi will continue until the Saudi-led attacks on Yemen cease and the years-long blockade on the country is lifted. In addition to land-based strikes, Sanaa has also been targeting Saudi-linked shipping and vessels navigating Red Sea routes, further disrupting Riyadh’s maritime and economic interests.

This new defense pact between Saudi Arabia and Syria underscores the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, as Riyadh seeks to compensate for its own vulnerabilities by drawing in new allies, even as the war in Yemen shows no signs of resolution.