RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed to deepen cooperation in the industrial sector and set up joint working groups to advance economic integration between the two countries.
The announcement followed a meeting in Riyadh between the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef, and Syria’s Minister of Economy and Industry, Mohammed Nidal Al-Shaar, during which they reviewed opportunities for collaboration, Arab News reported on Tuesday.
Discussions centred on boosting joint investments, promoting knowledge exchange, and exploring new avenues for industrial integration between the two countries.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Saudi-Syrian roundtable, where both nations signed an agreement to protect and promote mutual investments.
Alkhorayef, in a post on X, said the meeting lays the foundation for building bridges of cooperation and economic integration, in line with the leadership’s directives to develop the Saudi-Syrian partnership, reflecting the depth of the fraternal ties between the two brotherly nations.
سعدنا اليوم في مقر الوزارة باستقبال معالي وزير الاقتصاد والصناعة في الجمهورية العربية السورية الدكتور محمد نضال الشعار، في زيارة تؤسس لبناء جسور التعاون والتكامل الاقتصادي، امتدادًا لتوجيهات القيادة بتطوير الشراكة السعودية–السورية بما يجسد عمق الروابط الأخوية بين البلدين الشقيقين pic.twitter.com/Hrpiro4KDv
— بندر إبراهيم الخريف Bandar Alkhorayef (@BAlkhorayef) August 18, 2025
Alkhorayef also highlighted their leadership’s shared commitment to advancing joint work and strengthening bilateral economic ties, particularly in industry and mining, while also encouraging mutual investments, according to a separate statement posted by the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources on his X account.
During the meeting, the Saudi Minister highlighted the outcomes of the Saudi-Syrian Investment Forum held in July in Damascus under the patronage of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
He noted that several agreements had been signed in key sectors, including industry and mining, describing these as important milestones towards revitalising Syria’s economy and promoting sustainable growth.
The Minister also outlined the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy, emphasising its critical role in shaping frameworks for industrial integration with Arab nations.
He stressed the significance of engaging the private sector to capitalise on the opportunities presented by enhanced industrial cooperation with Syria.
Alkhorayef extended an invitation to Al-Shaar to attend the 21st General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, scheduled to be held in Riyadh this November, presenting it as a key platform to further regional industrial dialogue.
The Syrian minister conveyed his country’s readiness to enhance industrial and investment partnerships with Saudi Arabia, emphasising Damascus’s keen interest in leveraging the Kingdom’s advanced industrial expertise.
