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Saudi Arabia downgraded its diplomatic representation in Syria on Feb. 27 by moving Saudi Ambassador to Syria Ahmed Ali Qahtan to Doha, Qatar. This comes amid a deepening diplomatic rift between Riyadh and Damascus over the political crisis in Lebanon, where both sides are engaged in an intense battle for regional influence. If the rift expands and Sunni regional powers boycott the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus, Syria could soon face the specter of regional isolation.
Saudi Arabia has been stepping up diplomatic pressure on Syria in an attempt to force Syria’s Alawite-Baathist government, as well as its allies in Hezbollah and Iran, to back away from its list of demands for Lebanon. These demands include installing a pro-Syrian president and expanding Hezbollah’s Cabinet representation. As part of this pressure campaign, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain each have issued travel advisories in the past week, which have curtailed the travel of Gulf citizens to Lebanon — a major blow to Lebanon’s already faltering economy, which is in dire need of a good petrodollar-funded tourist season. The region’s Sunni Arab heavyweights, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, also are hinting that they will boycott the March 27-29 Arab League summit if Syria does not reach a deal over the Lebanese presidency soon.
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