There are signs of rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Syria, as the latest efforts of the kingdom to readmit Syria to the Arab League show. Saudi Arabia is pursuing a pragmatic policy of détente with one of its long-standing enemies: The normalisation of relations is intended to stabilise the regional neighbourhood and to ease diversification in foreign policy as well as in economy. However, the path ahead is not easy, as the Syrian regime is internationally still isolated and continues to be a difficult player regionally.

This article is part of a 46-pages Syria dossier of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in the Middle East magazine zenith. The 2023 winter issue sheds light on current developments in and around Syria. Although from afar, the conflict appears to be frozen and Assad's position in power stable, a closer look reveals that the country and its inhabitants continue to face profound hardships. This dossier goes beyond a superficial analysis and takes an in-depth look at the complex dynamics that significantly influence the situation in and around Syria.

This article is only available in German. Please refer to the German page for access.