On Monday evening, September 9, Saudi Arabia announced the reopening of its official headquarters in Damascus, after a month of operating from its temporary headquarters at the Four Seasons hotel.
The acting head of the Saudi embassy, Abdullah al-Haris, stated that the official reopening of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Syria had taken place, according to the Syrian official news agency (SANA).
In turn, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Raad said that the reopening of Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Damascus, following the reopening of the Syrian embassy in Riyadh, “will activate the relations between the two countries to enhance joint Arab work in the interest of the peoples of the region.”
The embassy opening ceremony at the Four Seasons hotel was attended by Damascus Governor Mohammad Tariq Kreishati, Rif Dimashq Governor Ahmad Khalil, several members of the Syrian Parliament, and representatives of accredited diplomatic missions in Syria.
The main headquarters of the Saudi embassy is located in the Abu Rummana district of Damascus, while the consulate building is in the Mazzeh area.
Both buildings have undergone months of renovation, preparation, and equipment in anticipation of their reopening, following the resumption of Syrian-Saudi relations and the return of diplomatic work between the two countries.
On August 12, the Saudi embassy began receiving visitors at its temporary headquarters at the Four Seasons hotel, until the official headquarters were ready, following more than two months after announcing the resumption of its work.
A Damascus-based travel agency told the local Athr Press news website on Monday, September 9, that entry visas to Saudi Arabia could only be obtained from Beirut or Jordan, noting that the Saudi consulate at the temporary headquarters in the Four Seasons hotel was only working on certifying official documents, while entry visa bookings had not yet been activated.
In early June, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the resumption of works at its embassy in the capital Damascus after nearly 12 years of closure.
This step comes after Saudi Arabia renewed its relations with the Syrian regime in March 2023, following more than a decade of diplomatic cut-off due to the regime’s handling of the Syrian revolution in 2011.
On May 26, Saudi Arabia announced the appointment of Faisal bin Saud al-Mejfel as ambassador in Damascus for the first time since 2012.
Al-Mejfel has a military background, having served in the Saudi armed forces and was promoted to the rank of Major General in 2019. He was previously appointed as the Kingdom’s ambassador to Cameroon in Africa.