RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has launched a humanitarian air bridge to Syria to deliver food, shelter, and medical supplies, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
The air bridge, established by the Saudi aid agency, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), aims to alleviate the effects of the difficult conditions currently facing the Syrian people.
The second relief plane of the Saudi airlift, arrived today at Damascus International Airport in Syria.
Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the KSrelief Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah told the SPA that “today’s airlift will be followed by a land bridge in the coming days.”
Through KSrelief, Saudi Arabia has been providing constant support to internally displaced Syrians and those in neighbouring countries, as well as to victims of the northern Syrian earthquake in February 2023.
From 2011 to the end of 2024, the Kingdom’s total aid provided by Saudi Arabia to Syria amounted to $856,891,000.
Meanwhile, the European Union and Ukraine, have also pledged aid for Syria, where the United Nations said seven out of 10 people are in dire need of support.
Syria has been devastated by 13 years of civil war as well as Western sanctions targeting the government of ousted president Bashar al-Assad.
Millions have been displaced while the economy and civil infrastructure are in rags, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying that approximately half of the country’s hospitals are out of service.
Earlier, the Foreign Minister of Syria Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani had confirmed that he had been invited by Saudi Arabia for an official visit. Al-Shibani said on X on Monday that he had accepted an invitation from his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, to visit the Kingdom.
The development follows comments made by Syria’s new leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who said Saudi Arabia had a major role to play in his country’s future.
“Saudi Arabia has a major role in Syria’s future, and I take pride in everything it has done for us,” he said during an interview with Al Arabiya.
Al-Sharaa, leader of the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group, spearheaded an 11-day offensive that led to the ouster of Bashar al-Assad ending the family’s five-decade rule.
Last month, a high-ranking Saudi delegation headed by an advisor to the Royal Court visited Syria and met with Al-Sharaa in Damascus.
