Syrian Advisers Help Train Saudi and Yemeni Forces, Officials Say

Syrian personnel are providing military advice and training in Saudi Arabia, according to two Syrian military sources and a senior U.S. official in a report published on November 6. The U.S. official said the teams were helping train Saudi and Yemeni units inside the kingdom. Syrian sources described scores of personnel traveling there in recent weeks and said their role could extend beyond training. A Syrian diplomat cautioned that “any suggestion of military deployments at this stage is premature.” The diplomat described the cooperation as advice, training and exchanges of expertise. A Saudi official said its main purpose was to help restructure Syria’s forces, while Saudi Arabia could also benefit from Syrian combat experience. The official said joint exercises were underway and further exercises were planned. The U.S. official said Washington had urged caution about deeper involvement in Yemen’s war. The Saudi government, Syria’s Defense Ministry, the U.S. State Department, Yemen’s government and the Houthis did not respond to requests for comment cited in the report. The accounts therefore leave the scope of the personnel’s mission unresolved. The report follows a November 4 meeting in Riyadh between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia’s official account confirms that the two defense ministries signed an agreement alongside agreements on industry, agriculture and the environment. That announcement establishes the formal cooperation framework but does not confirm the reported advisory teams or their activities.