Patterns of Friendship and Hostility and Saudi Arabia - Syria Relations in West Asian Security Complex

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria have experienced many ups and downs since the two countries entered the realm of national governments. The presence of Riyadh and Damascus in rival camps during the Cold War paved the way for divergence in bilateral relations. With the rise of the Ba'ath party in Syria in 1963, relations between the two sides became strained. with the beginning of the Syrian crisis, Riyadh became one of the main supporters of proxy war and the policy of regime change. However, with the acceleration of the political settlement of the crisis and the beginning of the period of economic reconstruction, the Saudis, like other countries in West Asia and North Africa, have taken the path of normalizing relations with Damascus. The main question of the present article is Why has the situation of divergence been the dominant strain in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria ? In this regard, using the propositions of the regional security complex theory, the hypothesis is tested that the different roles of Riyadh and Damascus in the West Asian security complex, including their distinct position on the issue of the israel-Palestinian conflict, the transformation of Riyadh against The axis of resistance and Shiite geopolitic and the lack of cultural, religious, racial, divergence have become the dominant aspects of bilateral relations. The present article is descriptive and analytical and the required information is collected by library method and referring to valid internet sources.