Syrian President Bashar Assad headed to Saudi Arabia yesterday to attend a regional summit, his first visit to the oil-rich kingdom since Syria’s conflict began in 2011, the president’s office said.
Assad’s attendance at the Arab League summit, which starts Friday, is expected to seal Syria’s return to the Arab fold following a 12-year suspension and open a new chapter of relations after more than a decade of tensions.
The 22-member league, which is convening in the Saudi city of Jeddah, recently reinstated Syria and is now poised to welcome Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into its ranks. The Syrian president was officially invited to attend the summit last week.
During Syria’s civil war, Saudi Arabia had been a key backer of armed opposition groups attempting to overthrow Assad. However, in recent months, Riyadh has called for dialogue to end the conflict that has killed half a million people and displaced half of Syria’s pre-war population.
Assad’s troops have taken control of much of Syria thanks to his main allies Russia and Iran that helped tip the balance of power in his favor.
