A Syrian delegation made their first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

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A high-level Syrian delegation led by Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani arrived in Riyadh on his first official visit abroad since Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebels last month.

The delegation, which included Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Intelligence Chief Anas Khattab, was received by the kingdom’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhariji at Riyadh Airport on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“With the first visit in the history of free Syria, we want to open a new and bright page in the relationship between Syria and Saudi Arabia, which is suitable for the long common history between the two countries,” Shaibani said in X.

Saudi Arabia In the year In 2011, when he began to reconnect with the dictator for the first time since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, he welcomed Assad on several occasions. They were controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham after capturing Damascus on December 8.

Arab countries are concerned about the further conflict and political instability in the region following the worst crisis Wars in Gaza and Lebanon, the Gulf states are interested in ending the illegal importation of Captagon and other illegal drugs originating in Syria.

Following an official invitation from the kingdom, Saudi Arabia sent three planes of humanitarian aid to Syria, including food, shelter and medical supplies.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya and Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jassem Al-Budaiwi met with Syrian Governor Ahmed Al-Shara yesterday.

Yahya asked the international community to reconsider the sanctions imposed on Syria and said that the Gulf countries are making urgent efforts to send more aid to Syria.

The visit “shows our commitment to open a new constructive regional cooperation platform.” . . And we respect the response of the new administration in Syria to these efforts,” Yahya said at a press conference in Damascus.

HTS has been classified as a terrorist organization by the US, UN and others, although Washington and other Western capitals have taken tentative steps to negotiate with the new rulers.

Qatar sent a high-level delegation to Syria last week to oppose earlier efforts to restore Assad’s government and return it to the Arab side.

Syria’s new leader, Sharaa, formerly known as de Gurr Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, said in an interview last week on the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel that Saudi Arabia “will certainly have a major role in Syria’s future.”

He added that there was a “huge investment opportunity” as the country tries to rebuild its economy after more than a decade of devastating civil war.

In the same interview, he gave the first indication that there may be a timetable for the country’s political transition chapters and said that it would take up to three years to prepare a new constitution and up to four years to hold the first election.