
Syria’s new Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shibani, expressed optimism about fostering stronger ties with Saudi Arabia during his visit to the kingdom on Wednesday, which marked the first foreign trip by Syria’s new leadership following their rise to power last month, AFP reported.
"I have just arrived in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by the Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Head of the General Intelligence Service Anas Khattab," al-Shibani said in a statement on X.
"Through this first visit in the history of Free Syria, we aspire to open a new, bright page in Syrian-Saudi relations that befits the long shared history between the two countries," he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported that the delegation’s visit came “at the invitation of the Saudi foreign minister,” citing a foreign ministry source.
A statement from Syria’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, welcomed the delegation upon their arrival at Riyadh’s international airport.
The statement was accompanied by photos showing El-Khereiji and Shibani shaking hands, along with images of Saudi officials engaging in discussions with the Syrian delegation, according to AFP.
Last month, a Saudi delegation met with Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus, according to a source close to the Saudi government.
Sharaa leads the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which spearheaded the rebel offensive that ousted President Bashar Al-Assad on December 8.
HTS was once a part of Al-Nusra Front, Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch, and is labeled a "terrorist" organization by many Western governments.
HTS later broke off from Al-Nusra Front and prioritized combatting Al-Qaeda as well as the Islamic State (ISIS), of which Sharaa was critical, describing its self-proclaimed caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq as "illegitimate".
In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television last week, Sharaa emphasized Saudi Arabia’s potential role in shaping Syria’s future, saying, "Saudi Arabia will certainly have a large role in Syria's future."
Saudi Arabia severed ties with Assad’s government in 2012, backing Syrian rebels in the early stages of the Syrian civil war. However, Riyadh restored relations with Assad’s government last year and played a pivotal role in facilitating Syria’s reentry into the Arab League, ending years of regional isolation.