Saudi Arabia and Qatar to clear Syria’s debt to World Bank

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have pledged to settle Syria’s debt to the World Bank, allowing the republic to receive new aid after a 14-year hiatus, the Financial Times reports.

The $15 million tranche will be the first financial assistance provided to Damascus by Riyadh since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which occurred in December.

Representatives of Syria’s new government—including the head of the central bank and the finance minister—participated in meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington this week, marking their first visit to the United States in over two decades. This also was their first official visit to the U.S.