Saudi Arabia welcomes US decision to lift Caesar Act sanctions on Syria

Saudi Arabia on Friday welcomed the US decision to lift sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act.

This came a day after US President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, formally ending the sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act during the rule of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime.

Commenting on the move, a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said that Washington's decision will "contribute to supporting stability, prosperity, and development in Syria, in a manner that fulfills the aspirations of the Syrian people."

It also commended Trump's "positive" role in this regard.

The ministry congratulated the Syrian government and people on the lifting of all sanctions and expressed appreciation for the steps taken by the government to "restore stability across all Syrian territories, create conducive conditions for rebuilding the Syrian state and economy, and facilitate the return of Syrian refugees and displaced persons to their areas of origin."

The 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act allowed the US to impose economic and travel sanctions on anyone, Syrian or foreign, who aids the former Assad regime's military, intelligence, aviation, or energy-production sectors. It also targets individuals and entities that help the regime obtain goods, services, or technology that enable military operations.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration headed by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.