Sudan’s army chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan has held talks in Jeddah with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a visit seen as a critical bid to shore up support as Sudan’s civil war grinds on with no clear end in sight.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the meeting centred on safeguarding Sudan’s security and stability and preserving its sovereignty. Behind that careful language lies a brutal conflict that has shattered the country, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces against the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a struggle for control of the state.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of Burhan’s most important backers, offering political cover and financial assistance to the army while presenting itself as a mediator. Alongside the United States, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, Riyadh has hosted ceasefire talks and evacuation operations, positioning the kingdom as a key diplomatic hub for the crisis.

The war has also exposed sharp regional rivalries. Abu Dhabi has been accused by Burhan’s camp and several international investigators of funnelling money and weapons to the RSF, allegations the UAE rejects. The Jeddah meeting therefore carries wider implications, as Gulf powers compete for influence over Sudan’s future political and economic order.

Economic ties formed a significant part of the agenda. Saudi Arabia is preparing to host a Sudanese Saudi business forum aimed at salvaging and restructuring investments battered by the conflict. Bilateral trade is estimated at around 8 billion dollars, driven largely by Saudi imports of Sudanese livestock and agricultural products that feed the kingdom’s food security strategy.

Riyadh already has more than 35 billion dollars invested in Sudan, much of it in large-scale farming and land leases along the Nile and in fertile regions now threatened by fighting, displacement and the collapse of basic services. Business leaders and diplomats say any hope of protecting those investments depends on halting the war and rebuilding state institutions.

For Burhan, the Jeddah talks are about more than symbolism. With his forces stretched on multiple fronts and millions of Sudanese facing hunger and displacement, sustained Saudi backing could prove decisive in shaping both the battlefield balance and the eventual terms of any political settlement.