Sources have disclosed that the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, commonly referred to as Aramco, has sent a delegation of experts to discuss investment opportunities in the oil fields and wells in the Eastern Syrian city of Deir Ez-Zor.

According to the oppositionist news site Deir Ezzor 24, Aramco “started implementing practical steps in this field, where a group of the company arrived in an official mission to al-Omar oil field in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside.”

It is believed that the investments will be made through contracts signed between Aramco and the US government, whose armed forces have steadily been increasing their military presence in terms of manpower and equipment around the oil fields. Despite initially claiming to scale back troops from Syria, US President Donald Trump announced in October that America had “secured” and taken control of the oil in the Middle East.

The Kurdish Syrian Defence Forces (formerly known as the YPG) currently control most of the country’s oil fields and have shifted towards an alliance with the Syrian government after losing American protection in the north-east of the country in the wake of Trump’s “withdrawal” and ensuing Turkish offensive dubbed “Operation Peace Spring” to clear the area of Kurdish militias.

However, the uninvited American military presence is considered illegal by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad who explained in a recent interview with Chinese broadcaster Phoenix Television that two goals must be achieved in order to expel US troops; firstly, eradicating all terrorist groups, (whose presence the US legitimises in maintaining its own forces) and secondly to convince the local population through dialogue to unite with Damascus against foreign powers. “Ultimately, the Americans will leave,” Al-Assad concluded. Both Syria and its Russian ally accuse Washington of “stealing” Syrian resources.