In a development presaging new shifts in the politics of the Middle East, the chief Bahraini security official went to Damascus last week for an unprecedented visit to the leadership – part of the incremental way Syria is being readmitted into the Arab diplomatic fold.
The historic meeting, which took place in the centuries-old People’s Palace in Damascus on December 28, saw Ahmad bin Abdulaziz al-Khalifa – chief of Bahrain’s National Security Agency – personally hand over a message of support from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to the Syrian official Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Now, down marble halls that have heard millions of words of diplomatic exchange, the Bahraini delegation brought more than formal greetings. King Hamad’s letter, shared with regional media outlets, offered robust endorsement of Syria’s recent diplomatic overtures, praising what it termed Damascus’s “wise policy” in engaging with foreign ambassadors.
“Today’s meeting reflects the deep-rooted ties between our nations,” a senior Bahraini diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity to follow diplomatic protocol. “We’re witnessing a new chapter in Arab relations with Syria.”
The timing becomes all the more important in light of Bahrain holding the chair of the prestigious Arab Summit. Teheran was promised “full readiness for continuous consultation” by the kingdom, in that capacity, and support for Damascus through various regional and international channels.
The meeting for Syria is yet another step towards emerging, slowly but surely, from a diplomatic isolation. A long-serving Syrian foreign ministry official talking from this office in Damascus emphasized that such Bahrain goodwill is really significant, saying, “Each such visit helps restore Syria’s rightful place in the Arab world.”
What, as now seems witty, is Bahrain’s early entry into tie renewal with Syria: opening up its embassy in Damascus in 2018, while many others in the region still kept their distance. That was the decision made in the wake of Syria’s civil war, which also made Bahrain perhaps the first state to move toward reviving relations with Damascus.
King Hamad’s letter addressed that matter directly: hopeful for Syria’s return to the Arab League, not least because of the hopes expressed within it that the country would have “its original role” within that organization. This statement has a particularly strong resonance given Syria’s multifaceted history with the league from which it has been suspended since 2011.
“Bahrain’s initiative reflects a growing regional consensus,” explained Dr. Mohammed Hassan, a political analyst at the Gulf Research Center. “There’s an increasing recognition that Syria’s isolation serves neither regional stability nor Arab interests.”
The meeting’s warmth and substance suggest a broader regional shift. According to one Damascus-based Western diplomat, “We are seeing a gradual but definite momentum toward Syria’s reintegration into regional diplomacy.”
Evening fell over Damascus on that significant Thursday, when the delegations concluded their talks at a moment of optimism about future cooperation. The outcomes of that visit would suggest that Syria’s path back into the fold of regional acceptance is not easy, but at least it’s gaining some traction in important Arab states.
This visit is quite different from the routine state exchange for the two countries – it indicates a possible turning point in the shape of the regional diplomatic landscape, changes which could have implications for years to come in Middle Eastern politics.
