ABSTRACT
The subject of Chapter 9 is the relationship between Syria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Relations between the two countries have been complex and often paradoxical. During the years of this study the two Arab powers were divided on virtually every aspect of life, from ideology to regional and international alliances. The Ba’thist republic was a stern ally of the USSR and an opponent of American and Israeli predominance in the region, the Wahabi Kingdom on the other hand was strongly dependent on its alliance with Washington. Furthermore, the Iranian revolution pitted the two Arab capitals on two opposite sides of the regional divide. Despite these differences the two Arab powers kept a ‘working relationship’, cooperating on some important regional scenarios such as Lebanon while Saudi Arabia generously bankrolled Syrian foreign policy. This ‘odd alliance’ was a stark contrast from the ideological rivalry of the 1960s. This chapter will argue that what allowed this alignment was the compatibility of the two countries’ regional goals together with the ‘pragmatic’ twist in Syrian foreign policy imposed by Hafez Al-Assad.
