Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Tehran Times: Iran and the United States are ready to start new negotiations.
The source told SANA that the government calls on the SDF to engage in implementing the March 10 agreement and urges international mediators to move all negotiations to Damascus.
The source told SANA that the conference violates the commitments the Syrian government has begun implementing, including the formation of a transitional justice body and the dialogue process.
A Syrian source told SANA that the government considers this conference an attempt to internationalize Syrian affairs, invite foreign intervention, and reimpose sanctions.
A Syrian government source told SANA that the Syrian government will not participate in planned meetings with the Syrian Democratic Forces in Paris.
TASS news agency, citing a Kremlin official: Putin and Trump will meet in Alaska on August 15.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone strike targets vehicle on Zahrani - Tyre Highway.
Israeli media: Israeli Prime Minister's Office: The security cabinet has approved Netanyahu's proposal on Gaza.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The Lebanese Council of Ministers approved the general objectives of the US paper unanimously by the ministers who remained in the session.
Hezbollah, Amal Movement ministers withdraw from the Lebanese cabinet session as it discusses the proposal of US envoy Tom Barrack.

Will Arab states get ahead of Turkiye in the race for Syria?: WSJ

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 10 Jan 2025 15:28
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Syria has been transformed into a platform for strategic competition, with Arab states racing to get ahead as Turkiye holds onto the headstart it gained after the fall of the Assad regime.

Listen
  • x
  • A heavily damaged mosque is seen surrounded by buildings that were completely destroyed during the civil war at the Al-Asali neighborhood in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP)
    A heavily damaged mosque is seen surrounded by buildings that were completely destroyed during the war in the Al-Asali neighborhood in Damascus, Syria, on Monday, January 6, 2025. (AP)

Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, are vying for influence in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, despite concerns about the Islamist roots of its new leaders.

A report by The Wall Street Journal said that countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar have been pumping humanitarian aid and energy assistance, aiming to secure strategic advantages such as curbing drug trafficking, reducing radical fighter flows, and countering the influence of rivals like Turkiye and Iran. 

The Arab League, which suspended Syria in 2011, has recently pushed to renew ties in light of the political developments in the country. Saudi Arabia is particularly taking proactive steps, including establishing a humanitarian air bridge, offering police training, and offering to replace sanctioned Iranian oil to address Syria's energy crisis.

Analysts suggest these actions are driven by strategic interests rather than pure altruism, as the region navigates the power vacuum and shifting dynamics in the post-Assad era.

The current Syrian leadership is ruled by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of al-Qaeda, and was designated as a terrorist organization until most recently. Extremist groups in the Middle East have been of major concern, even fear, to the Gulf regimes. 

The Syrian situation parallels that of post-Muslim Brotherhood Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood has thorned Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but its collapse prompted the flow of Saudi and Emirati aid and investments in Egypt and its president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Related News

Damascus-backed gunmen injure 4 civilians in Deir Ezzor, SDF reports

27 killed in less than 10 days in a wave of sectarian violence: SOHR

The geopolitical competition for Syria

Saudi's next move, however, would prove to be detrimental if it wants to avoid falling out of the race as it did in Iraq, post-Saddam Hussein. Currently, Turkiye has a headstart in Syria, and "has an expanded platform to project power in the region," according to the WSJ. 

Saudi Arabia, according to Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, aims to counterbalance the Turkish influence and role in New Syria, 

Moreover, Qatar, which did not follow the steps of other Arab regimes when they normalized ties with Syria in 2023, bridged the gap following the regime shift and is currently engaged in advanced dialogue with Damascus. Doha also offered to provide financial and energy assistance to Syria. 

The UAE, on the other hand, expressed concerns about HTS and the ruling leadership in Syria, citing their past affiliations and worries about potential relapses. According to Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic advisor to the Emirati government, the possibility of radical elements within Syria's armed factions rising to power would "lead us to another crisis in the region."

The Israeli occupation, however, approached the Syrian situation with a different maneuver, taking advantage of the recent political shift in Syria. Exploiting the instability, the occupation has intensified its aggression by targeting Syria's military infrastructure, destroying vital facilities, and occupying an estimated 600 square kilometers of southern Syrian territory.

Yesterday, the Times of Israel reported that Israeli government and security officials have been covertly scheming to establish an international summit that would propose the division of Syria into cantons, under the guise that it would preserve the rights and safety of all the diverse ethnic groups within the country.

According to Israel Hayom, the officials discussed the plot in December, right after the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, with Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen proposing an international summit that would discuss its possibility. 

  • Syria
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
  • UAE
  • Turkiye
  • Saudi Arabia

Most Read

Shiekh Naim Qassem giving a speech commemorating the anniversay of martyr Mohammed Saeed Izadi, August 5, 2025, in Lebanon

Sheikh Qassem threatens 'Israel', warns against foreign intervention

  • Politics
  • 5 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025
Hezbollah says disarming Resistance is a blow to Lebanon’s sovereignty

Hezbollah to overlook cabinet decision; Amal urges corrective approach

  • Politics
  • 6 Aug 2025
India halts $3.6B Boeing deal after Trump slaps harsh tariffs

India halts $3.6bln Boeing deal following Trump's harsh tariffs

  • Economy
  • 6 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
People observe a minute of silence at the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park, during a ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the day an atomic bomb was dropped on Japanese southwestern city, in Nagasaki, Japan Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Nagasaki mayor warns of nuclear war on 80th anniversary of atomic bomb

Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in the northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Friday, August 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UK hires US firm for Gaza surveillance flights amid Israeli genocide

Palestinian women mourn over the body of their father, who was killed while trying to reach aid trucks entering northern Gaza Strip through the Zikim, Gaza City, Occupied Palestine, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Aid site massacres continue in Gaza, death toll reaches 61,369

A member of a Palestinian excavation team works in a newly discovered Roman era cemetery in the Gaza Strip, Sunday, December 11, 2022 (AP)
Arts and Culture

Paris exhibition showcases 5,000 years of Gaza history, rare artifacts

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS