Syria's Interim Foreign Minister Visits Saudi Arabia on First Foreign Trip

The Foreign Minister of the Syrian Interim Government expressed hope that a "new and bright chapter" in the relations between the two countries would begin during his visit to Saudi Arabia. This is considered the first foreign trip of the new Syrian rulers following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government. On Wednesday, January 1, As'ad Hassan Shibani wrote on the social media platform X: "I have now arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia along with Marhef Abou Qasri, the Minister of Defense [of the Syrian Interim Government], and Anas Khattab, the head of intelligence." He added: "We hope that through this first trip, which takes place in the history of free Syria, we can begin a new and bright chapter in the relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia that is worthy of the long history and commonalities between the two countries." Hours earlier, Syrian state media reported, citing a source in the country's Foreign Ministry, that As'ad Hassan Shibani was traveling to Riyadh at the invitation of the Saudi Foreign Minister. The Syrian Foreign Ministry's announcement stated that the Syrian delegation was welcomed at Riyadh's international airport by Walid bin Abdul Karim al-Khuraiji, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia. AFP reported, citing a Saudi government official, that a diplomatic delegation from this country recently met with Ahmad al-Shara, the current leader of Syria, in Damascus. Ahmad al-Shara led the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which, along with other rebel groups, overthrew Bashar al-Assad's government through military action. In an interview with Al Arabiya television last week, he assured that Saudi Arabia "will certainly play a major role in the future of Syria" and stated that "there are great investment opportunities for all neighboring countries." The economy and infrastructure of Syria have been devastated due to 13 years of civil war that began with the bloody suppression of protesters in 2011. Saudi Arabia severed its relations with the Assad government in 2012 and supported the rebels demanding the overthrow of the Damascus government. However, last year, Riyadh resumed its relations with the Assad government and facilitated the return of this country to the Arab League, which meant the end of Damascus's political isolation in the region.