Relationship dossier
Syria
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
Diplomatic normalization and Emirati support for Syria’s regional reintegration, with future policy continuity uncertain
Syria toward United Arab Emirates
+20The Syrian government engaged in high-level diplomacy with the UAE, including Bashar al-Assad’s visit to Abu Dhabi in 2022. The continuity of this approach after Syria’s 2024 political transition is uncertain.
United Arab Emirates toward Syria
+40The UAE reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018, hosted Bashar al-Assad in 2022, provided relief after the 2023 earthquake and supported Syria’s return to the Arab League. The extent to which these policies continue under Syria’s post-2024 authorities is unclear.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship moved from severe diplomatic estrangement during the Syrian conflict toward Emirati-backed normalization and Syria’s regional reintegration. High-level engagement and humanitarian assistance are significant features, but the 2024 political transition in Syria leaves the durability and future direction of the relationship uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Syrian–Emirati ties shifted from rupture during the Syrian conflict toward diplomatic normalization. The UAE reopened its Damascus embassy, hosted Bashar al-Assad, provided earthquake relief and supported Syria’s return to the Arab League. Syrian government engagement included Assad’s visit to the UAE. Syria’s 2024 political transition makes the continuity of earlier bilateral policy uncertain.
Key developments
The UAE reopened its embassy in Damascus after years of closure.
Bashar al-Assad visited the UAE, renewing high-level diplomatic engagement.
The UAE provided humanitarian assistance following the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.
The UAE supported Syria’s return to the Arab League.
Major uncertainties
- The direction of Syrian foreign policy toward the UAE after the 2024 political transition is unclear.
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation following normalization are uncertain.
- The extent of continuing Emirati concerns over narcotics trafficking from Syria is unclear.