Syria’s newly appointed foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, announced on Monday that his first official visit abroad will be to Saudi Arabia, following an official invitation from his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
“I have received an official invitation from His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, to visit the Kingdom. I gladly and wholeheartedly accept this invitation and am honored to represent my country on this first official visit,” al-Shibani said on X.
“We look forward to building strategic relations with our brothers in the Kingdom across all fields,” he added.
Earlier this month, a senior Saudi delegation headed by an advisor in Saudi Arabia’s Royal Court met with Syria’s de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus.
In interview with Al Arabiya on Sunday, al-Sharaa described recent Saudi statements on Syria as “very positive” and said that the Kingdom has a major role to play in Syria’s future.
“I am proud of everything that Saudi Arabia has done for Syria, and it has a major role in the future of the country,” he told Al Arabiya.
Al-Sharaa added that Saudi Arabia has major investment opportunities in Syria.
He also expressed personal pride in his connection to Saudi Arabia, mentioning that he was born in Riyadh and lived there until the age of seven.
