Saudi appoints first envoy to Syria in more than a decade

DAMASCUS: Saudi Arabia appointed a new ambassador to Syria on Sunday, state news agency SPA said, the kingdom’s first envoy to Damascus since the closure of the Saudi embassy there in 2012 during the Syrian civil war.

Riyadh’s new ambassador to Syria will be Faisal Al Mujfel, SPA said.

Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Syria earlier this year.

Syria reopened its embassy in Riyadh last year and appointed a new ambassador in December.

The re-establishment of ties between Riyadh and Damascus marked the most significant development so far in moves by Arab states to normalise ties with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

Last year, Bashar Al Assad was given a warm welcome at an Arab summit, winning a hug from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman had said he hoped Syria’s “return to the Arab League leads to the end of its crisis.”

Saudi Arabia would “not allow our region to turn into a field of conflicts,” he had said, saying the page had been turned on “painful years of struggle.”

“We understand the point of view of the United States and our partners in the West, but addressing the ongoing challenges requires a new approach and that will not come without dialogue,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud had told a news conference last year.

“We will have dialogue with our partners in Europe and the United States to address the sources of their worry.”

The war has shattered Syria’s economy, demolishing infrastructure, cities and factories. Assad could benefit from Gulf investment in his country.

In March 2022, Assad visited the UAE on his first official trip to an Arab country since the war began.

He has also visited Oman, Iran and Russia in recent years.