The story: Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad is in Muscat to hold talks with Omani officials. The visit is Mekdad’s third official visit abroad since his appointment as chief diplomat in November 2020. Mekdad’s Oman trip is yet another signal indicating willingness among the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to engage with Damascus.

The coverage: On March 21, Oman’s Foreign Ministry shared footage of the visit on its official Twitter account, stating that Oman and Syria “have asserted the importance of cooperation and dialogue to reach peaceful solutions.” The ministry published pictures of the “mutual visa exemption agreement for laissez-passer, diplomatic, special, and service passports,” signed during the visit. Omani media generally relayed the coverage of the country’s foreign ministry.

On the same day, the US-funded Al-Hurra published an article pointing to Saudi Arabia’s willingness to talk to Russia on “exerted efforts for a political solution in Syria.” Moscow is alongside Iran the main international patron of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

Also on March 21, Saudi Arabia’s Asharq Al-Awsat mentioned Mekdad’s visit to Oman in an article that focused on an ongoing “covert conflict” between Russia and Iran over the control of oil resources in northeast Syria. According to the outlet, both Tehran and Moscow are “trying to get compensation for their military support for the Assad regime.”

On March 20, the UAE-based The National reported that “Oman became the first GCC state to fully normali[z]e relations with Syria following nine years of tumultuous civil conflict.” The outlet also highlighted Abu Dhabi’s 2018 decision to reopen its embassy in Damascus. The National additionally reported comments made by the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who “called for Syria to be readmitted in the Arab League to support a regional effort for peace.”

The context/analysis: Muscat’s approach to the Syrian conflict has differed from that of the other GCC states. Indeed, Oman was the only GCC member that did not support Syria’s dominant opposition force—the Free Syrian Army. Instead, Omani officials kept channels of communication open with their Syrian counterparts since 2011 and throughout the war.

Having maintained ties with Damascus, Muscat is now better suited than most Arab states to advance its diplomatic role in Syria. In this vein, Syria last October received and accepted the credentials of the Omani ambassador, Turki Bin Mahmoud Albu-Saidi. This makes Oman the only GCC state that currently has an appointed ambassador to Syria. For Oman, Syria represents yet another opportunity to enhance the country’s reputation as an effective regional mediator. For its part, Damascus sees Muscat as a diplomatic partner to reach out to other wealthy GCC states as it seeks financial support for post-war reconstruction.

Oman is not the only GCC state that has recently undertaken considerable efforts to engage with Syria. The UAE plans to bring Assad’s Syria back into the Arab fold in an effort to build a united Arab front against Turkey. While Abu Dhabi considers Ankara as its most dangerous regional rival, Damascus takes a dim view of Turkish support and patronage of armed groups in Syria’s Idlib province—the only remaining rebel stronghold in the country. The UAE’s 2018 reopening of its embassy and the decision in 2020 to provide Syria with medical supplies to cope with Covid-19 can all be considered as part of Abu Dhabi’s strategic outreach to Damascus.

Of note, Omani and Emirati engagement with the Syrian government is taking place even though the US in June 2020 implemented the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (Caesar Act), which imposes sweeping sanctions on Damascus. In addition, Muscat has welcomed Mekdad after he was placed on the sanctions list of the UK, Oman’s closest ally in Europe.

The future: Looking ahead, it is likely that US President Joe Biden will remain committed to implementing the Caesar Act, which also imposes extraterritorial sanctions.

Against this backdrop, while the Caesar Act does not directly target any of the GCC states, the ripple effect of Washington’s sanctions is expected to prevent Oman, the UAE or indeed any other regional state with significant economic links to the US from meaningfully investing in Syria and in the country’s reconstruction.

However, in the coming months, it is likely that both Muscat and Abu Dhabi will continue with their diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives towards Damascus. As of today, such engagements with Syria have not produced any significant hostile reaction from the West.