WASHINGTON—Saudi Arabia has agreed to contribute $100 million in aid to U.S.-backed coalition efforts in Syria, the State Department said Thursday, following attempts by the Trump administration to push Arab allies to play a greater role in the war.
The sum appeared to fall short of U.S. requests for Arab money and troops earlier this year, but represented a step in Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Syrian conflict that has drawn in rival powers, including Iran and Russia, and displaced millions of people.
“This contribution follows the request from President Trump for partners to share the burden of promoting stability in Syria to safeguard the military gains achieved against ISIS,” the statement said.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed impatience with the cost and duration of the effort to oust Islamic State forces from Syria and restore order.
Saudi Arabia said the funds would be used to help stabilize areas liberated from Islamic State in northeastern Syria.
“This substantial contribution will play a critical role in the Coalition’s efforts to revitalize communities, such as Raqqa, that have been devastated by ISIS terrorists,” the Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C. said in a statement.
“The funds will focus on projects to restore livelihoods and essential services in the areas of health, agriculture, electricity, water, education, transportation (key roads and bridges), and rubble removal.”
In March, Mr. Trump ordered the State Department to freeze a planned $200 million in aid for recovery efforts in Syria pending an assessment. A small portion of the money has been released, but most is still on hold.
The Saudi pledge falls short of the billions that Mr. Trump requested during a phone call with King Salman in December, as described by U.S. officials.
Earlier this year, U.S. officials also told The Wall Street Journal the Trump administration was seeking to assemble an Arab force to replace U.S. troops in Syria, to help stabilize the country after the defeat of Islamic State. Saudi Arabia’s record in Yemen, where airstrikes last week killed at least 29 children in a school bus, have raised serious concerns among U.S. officials about the proposal.
The U.S. currently has stationed around 2,000 troops in Syria who are mostly involved in mentoring local forces in the fight against Islamic State and carrying out strikes against alleged members of the extremist group.
The Iraqi government declared victory against Islamic State in December, but the group retains pockets of control in Syria and areas close to the shared border.
The Syrian war started in 2011 during an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and has pitted U.S.-backed rebels against the government, which is supported by Russia and Iran. It also helped fuel the rise of Islamic State, which morphed into a U.S.-designated global terrorist organization that has claimed responsibility for attacks around the world.
The Trump administration is also seeking greater contributions for Syria from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both rich oil-producing countries. The U.A.E. and Qatar have both agreed to send troops to Afghanistan, but so far have resisted U.S. calls for their involvement in Syria.
—Margherita Stancati in Beirut contributed to this article.
Write to Jessica Donati at jessica.donati@wsj.com