Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah will be in Syria on Wednesday for an official visit that indicates improved ties between the two Arab states, the Al-Watan daily reported. "King Abdullah will arrive in Syria this afternoon for a two-day official visit, at the head of an important delegation," said the report of Abdullah’s first trip to Syria since he acceded to the throne in 2005.
Relations between Damascus and Riyadh unraveled over Saudi support for the U.S. 2003 invasion of Iraq. Saudi Arabia has likewise been at odds with Syria over its ties to rival Iran and its support for Lebanon's Shiite terrorist group Hizbullah.