Asaad Al-Shaibani arrived in Riyadh on his first overseas visit since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Syria’s top diplomat says he hopes to open a “new, bright page” with Saudi Arabia by arriving in the kingdom, the first foreign visit for Syria’s new rulers.
The visit, which began late on Wednesday, came less than a month after former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces on December 8.
“I have just arrived in the sister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by the Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Chief of the General Intelligence Service Anas Khattab,” Asaad al-Shaibani posted 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.
Al-Shaibani was appointed foreign minister on December 21 by Syria’s interim government, becoming the country’s first senior diplomat since the overthrow of al-Assad.
Earlier on Wednesday, Syrian state media said the delegation was visiting the kingdom “at the invitation of the Saudi foreign minister”.
A statement released by the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al Khereiji, received the delegation at the international airport in Riyadh.
The Syrian delegation includes Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence chief Anas Khattab, underscoring the diplomatic and strategic importance of the visit.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera broadcast on Tuesday, al-Shaibani called for the lifting of all Western sanctions on Syria as he detailed the new administration’s plans for the country’s future.
Adam Clements, a former US diplomat and Pentagon official, said Saudi Arabia is working to establish strong ties with Syria as Iran loses its influence over the country.
“I think this is very significant,” he told Al Jazeera on Thursday. He said that from a “diplomatic point of view”, Riyadh wants to establish stronger ties with the new Syrian administration.
“Saudi Arabia would also have a major role … in the beginning of construction and reconstruction. Syria is very dependent on Iran for oil and fuel, and so I think the Gulf states can also support this,” he said.
In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Sunday, Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also referred to as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said Riyadh “will certainly have a big role in the future of Syria “, emphasizing “a great investment opportunity for all neighboring countries”.
Al-Sharaa heads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that led the rebel offensive that toppled al-Assad.
Syria’s economy and infrastructure have been devastated by more than 13 years of civil war that began with the suppression of pro-democracy protests in 2011.
Saudi Arabia cut ties with al-Assad’s government in 2012 and backed Syrian rebels seeking to oust him at the start of the country’s civil war. In 2023, the Arab League readmitted Syria after more than a decade of suspension.
