Syria FM in Saudi Arabia in first foreign trip

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 sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by the Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Head 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 top diplomat since al-Assad’s overthrow.

Earlier on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported the delegation was visiting the kingdom “at the invitation of the Saudi foreign minister”.

A statement shared by Syria’s Foreign Ministry said Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed bin Abdulkarim El Khereiji received the delegation at the international airport in Riyadh.

The Syrian delegation includes Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence Chief Anas Khattab, underscoring the visit’s diplomatic and strategic significance.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera aired 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.

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, stated Riyadh “will certainly have a large role in Syria’s future”, pointing to “a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries”.

Al-Sharaa heads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that led the rebel offensive that ousted al-Assad.

Syria’s economy and infrastructure have been devastated by more than 13 years of war that began with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with al-Assad’s government in 2012 and backed Syrian rebels seeking to overthrow him early in the country’s war. In 2023, the Arab League readmitted Syria after more than a decade of suspension.