World · Middle East · 4 hrs ago
Syria confirms sending military personnel to Saudi Arabia
Syria says it has sent military advisers to Saudi Arabia for training, expertise-sharing and military consultations.
Syrian officials say 600 special forces are due to arrive next week.
The deployment comes as Saudi Arabia faces renewed Houthi missile attacks on its cities.
The Houthis took Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, and Saudi Arabia has backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015.
The sources describe a training and support role, not confirmed fighting in Yemen, though one Syrian analyst said Damascus may be avoiding details to limit retaliation and reassure people that rebuilding at home remains a priority.
Saudi Arabia is seeking stronger regional defence ties, and the current arrangement could lead to Syria joining the Mecca Defence Alliance, but no decision to join is reported.
Syria confirmed that it sent military personnel to Saudi Arabia for training, expertise exchange and military consultations.
Syrian officials said military advisers had already arrived, while 600 special forces were due to arrive the following week.
The reports came after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Riyadh and the two countries agreed on defence cooperation.
Saudi Arabia has faced Houthi missile attacks and is seeking regional security partnerships.
- Who
- Syria sent military personnel to Saudi Arabia. Syrian officials said advisers had arrived and 600 special forces were due to follow.
- What
- The personnel were sent for training, expertise exchange and military consultations.
- When
- The confirmation was reported on November 9, 2026. Officials said 600 special forces were due the following week.
- Where
- Saudi Arabia.
- Why
- The stated purpose was training, expertise exchange and military consultations. The reports linked the cooperation to Saudi Arabia’s security concerns over the Houthis.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Riyadh, where the two countries discussed cooperation and Saudi Arabia pledged $403m in loans to Syria.
Media reports said Syria was sending fighters to Saudi Arabia to help fight the Houthis.
Syrian officials told the Associated Press that advisers had been sent to Saudi Arabia and 600 special forces were due the following week.
Syria’s government confirmed that soldiers were sent for training, expertise exchange and military consultations.
- Loan pledge
- $403m
- Personnel already sent
- Syrian military advisers
- Expected deployment
- 600 special forces
- Deployment destination
- Saudi Arabia
- Stated role
- Training, expertise exchange and military consultations
What people are saying
training, expertise exchange and military consultations
The Syrian role would probably count for more in Riyadh than on Yemen’s front lines because it would show that the new Syria can share a partner’s security burden
The reports and the denials can both be partly right since Syrian officers training Yemeni forces inside the kingdom is different from Syrian troops fighting in Yemen.