00:00Major Saudi Arabian firms are looking to invest billions of dollars in Syria as part of the country's rebuilding efforts.
00:07You mentioned there how much of the country has been destroyed.
00:10How vital is investment like that from a country like Saudi Arabia?
00:15Extremely, extremely vital.
00:17Number one, we need to mention that Saudi Arabia was one of the first forthcoming countries to really recognise the new government
00:27and to show willingness to support it.
00:30I mean, let's not forget the Crown Prince invitation of Mr Al-Shara to meet with President Trump, which led to...
00:38Did that come as a shock?
00:40Not as a shock for some of us who have been following the development,
00:44but definitely it was in the minds of so many as important as the liberation itself,
00:52because it saved us time and energy and money to be able just to lobby for the suspension of those sanctions.
01:00Of course, we hope now they would be lifted totally with an act of Congress.
01:05So prior to this willingness to invest in Syria, there was this political support, which is extremely, extremely important.
01:13It's, you know, provided the country with the opportunity again to be received by other countries because of the credibility of Saudi Arabia.
01:23And so now I think everybody's waiting for those promises, those understandings, those meetings.
01:30And our president was in Saudi two days ago, where he met with, you know, at the greatest investment conference in Riyadh.
01:37So there's a lot of, again, will, but I think a lot of people are waiting for that to be translated,
01:42to be, you know, trickled down into people's lives, to see improvement in the standard of living.
01:47So, you know, things I think would really bring about the real change that Syrians are hoping for.
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