The Gulf state has been at the forefront of supporting Syria’s reconstruction since the fall of the Assad regime last December.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has reiterated his country’s support for Syria’s stability as well as its reconstruction and development efforts.

The renewed Qatari support came in a meeting in Doha on Sunday between Sheikh Mohammed and Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani. The discussions centred on the enhancement of cooperation between Doha and Damascus, according to a statement by Qatar’s foreign ministry.

“They discussed bilateral relations and explored ways to support and enhance cooperation[…]His Excellency [Sheikh Mohammed] also affirmed Qatar’s support for reconstruction, development, and stability efforts in Syria,” the statement said.

The top Syrian official has also expressed his gratitude for Qatar’s efforts in Syria that have increased over the past months following the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime on December 8, 2024.

“All thanks to the State of Qatar and its people for their steadfast support alongside Syria in all circumstances and for supporting it in confronting the threats it faces,” Al-Shaibani said on X.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed received a phone call from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday, where discussions dealt with cooperation between Doha and Ankara as well as the developments in the Gaza Strip.

Syria’s developments have also been a key priority for Qatar and Türkiye, with the two countries playing active roles in rebuilding the country and restoring its key infrastructure. 

Sheikh Mohammed also received German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Doha on Sunday, where the discussions similarly placed special focus on regional developments.

“The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasised the importance of intensifying regional and international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region through dialogue and peaceful means,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Qatar’s efforts in Syria

Qatar had maintained its position against the former Assad regime for its brutal crimes against its own people. The Gulf state had severed ties with the regime in response to its crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011 that plunged the country into a deadly war.

The Gulf state was also the first to establish a diplomatic mission for the Syrian opposition in its capital, Doha. 

A technical aviation team from Doha had travelled to Syria last December, days after Assad’s fall, to assess the readiness of the Damascus Airport to resume its operations, which was accomplished on January 7.

Qatar Airways became the first flight to land at the facility at the time.

Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani then visited Damascus on January 30 in what marked the first such visit by an Arab leader to the country since Assad’s fall. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa then visited Qatar for the first time on April 16.

The same month saw the announcement by Qatar and Saudi Arabia over their commitment to settle Syria’s outstanding arrears of $15m (around QAR 55m) to the World Bank.

Some of the key Qatari efforts in Syria included the developments of major power generation projects. 

This was seen in May with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Syrian government and a consortium of international companies led by Qatar’s UCC Holding to develop major power generation projects valued at approximately $7bn (around QAR 25.4bn).

The consortium also included American and Turkish companies.

In August, Syria signed another MoU with a five-company consortium worth more than $4bn (around QAR 14.5bn) to redevelop and expand Damascus International Airport. Qatar’s UCC Holding led the consortium, which included American and Turkish companies.