Syrian delegation makes first official visit to Saudi Arabia

A high-level delegation from Syria’s transitional government visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking their first foreign trip and signalling a warming of ties with the oil-rich monarchy.

The team, including Syria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, the defence minister and intelligence chief, landed in Saudi Arabia Wednesday night, according to Saudi Arabia’s official news agency SPA.

On Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhat received al-Shibani in Riyadh prior to their talks, the Saudi state news television al-Ekhbariya reported without giving further details.

Al-Shibani said on the social media platform X that he hopes the trip would “open a new and bright page” in ties between the two countries.

The visit comes less than a month after Islamist-led rebels forced Syria’s long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad to flee the country.

Saudi Arabia Wednesday launched an airlift of humanitarian assistance to Syria devastated by more than a decade of war.

The United Nations estimates that over 16 million people in Syria now rely on humanitarian aid – the highest number since the country’s civil war began in 2011.

Since al-Assad’s overthrow, there have been signs of rapprochement between Saudi Arabia, a regional heavyweight, and Syria’s new rulers.

In an interview with the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV aired last week, Syria’s de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa described Saudi Arabia as an “important regional country” that Syria is interested in cooperating with.

Saudi Arabia had initially supported an armed rebellion that followed a 2011 uprising against al-Assad’s rule.

Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League in 2011 in protest against al-Assad government’s use of brutal force to quell the pro-democracy uprising. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Syria in 2012.

But in 2023, Syria was readmitted to the Arab League and relations with Riyadh were normalized.