Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

Saudi, Syrian intelligence chiefs meet in Cairo

Saudi, Syrian intelligence chiefs meet in Cairo

The meeting between the Saudi and Syrian intelligence chiefs is a further step to reintegrate Syria's role in the Arab League - which is opposed by the United States.
Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief Gen. Khalid bin Ali Al Humaidan met Nov. 13 with his Syrian counterpart Hussam Luka in Cairo, on the sidelines of the Arab Intelligence Forum. This comes as part of the Egyptian efforts to unfreeze Damascus’ membership in the Arab League and end any Arab disputes.

On Nov. 9, Egypt hosted the Arab Intelligence Forum, which was attended by a number of the intelligence services’ directors in the region. During the forum that discussed many regional and international issues, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addressed the attendants via videoconference, and urged the directors to further cooperate in countering the challenges in order to preserve the Arab national security and stability.

So far, no official statement has been released by Saudi Arabia or Syria on the meeting.

Tarek Fahmy, professor of political science at Cairo University, told Al-Monitor that the meeting carries a symbolic significance and is an important sign indicating that Arabs welcome Syria’s return to the Arab League after a 10-year hiatus.

Speaking by phone, he said that Egypt has always played a pivotal and pioneering role in the region, and its efforts have succeeded in converging the views between Arab countries and Syria, which led to improved relations between the parties. Syria’s return to the league is now a matter of time, and it could happen at the next Arab summit slated for March in Algeria, according to Fahmy.

He noted that Egypt and Syria have continued to be in touch at the security level, and that Cairo made great efforts during the bilateral consultations with the Arab countries in order to convince them of the need to open channels of communication with Damascus and bring Syria back to the Arab League. These consultations have positively reflected on the Syria-Arab relations. Jordan opened its borders with Syria, and the heads of the two states have spoken. Also, there are good contacts with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iraq, and recently Saudi Arabia joined them.

Fahmy believes that it is only normal to bring Syria back to the Arab League after the improvement of relations, which is a matter of concern to Iran, Turkey and Israel, because it is in their interests to keep Syria’s membership frozen. But the Arab leaders at the next summit in Algeria are the ones who will decide whether or not Damascus will return to the league, he added.

Gamal Bayoumi, secretary-general of the Cairo-based Arab Investors Union and Egypt's former assistant foreign minister, told Al-Monitor by phone that the meeting in Cairo proves that Egypt managed to bring closer the views between Arab countries and Syria, and indicates that their relations are developing, which is important in light of the challenges facing Arab national security.

Bayoumi said that Egypt, with its weight and regional power, is able to bring Syria back to the Arab League, through the strong influence it has on Arab decision-makers, mainly Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Damascus. Thus, unfreezing Syria’s membership in the Arab League has become a matter of time, he said.

He pointed out that Egypt and Syria enjoy historical and close relations, and despite the boycott over the past years, they did not break off relations and their security contacts have been ongoing, which preserves their common interests.

Hussein Haridi, Egyptian ambassador and former assistant foreign minister, told Al-Monitor, that the meeting between the Saudi and Syrian intelligence directors in Cairo is encouraging and positive in the course of relations between Riyadh and Damascus, after years of tension and disagreements.

At the same time, he did not view “any correlation between this meeting and Syria’s return to the league." He added, "But it is a positive step forward, and we hope that the upcoming Arab summit in Algeria will announce Syria’s return.”

He said that Egypt made major efforts over the years to bring views closer and boost relations between Arab countries and Syria. Egypt is also committed to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 on a political settlement of the Syrian crisis and its territorial integrity. Egypt’s position is clear when it comes to supporting the national state against armed militias in order to maintain the stability of Syria, and it has always supported the choices of the Syrian people, who have the right to choose their own destiny, he said.

Haridi explained that boycotting Syria during the past years failed, and has not achieved any significant successes. Hence, a shift in the approach and Syria’s return is logical, which will have a positive impact in the region and contribute to the political settlement of the Syrian crisis.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×