RIYADH — A high-ranking Syrian delegation, led by Foreign Minister As’ad Al-Shaybani, arrived in the Saudi capital on the evening of January 1, 2025, marking the first official visit abroad for the new Syrian administration.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the delegation also includes Defense Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra and head of the General Intelligence Directorate, Anas Khattab. Saudi media outlets published images of Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Al-Khreeji welcoming the Syrian officials at King Khalid International Airport.

Last Monday, Al-Shaybani announced that he had received an invitation from Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to visit the kingdom, which he accepted. In a post on X, he expressed his eagerness to establish strategic relations with Saudi Arabia across various fields.

The visit follows a meeting last week between the leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, and a Saudi delegation headed by a royal court advisor at the People’s Palace in Damascus.

Additionally, on the same morning, the first Saudi humanitarian aid flight arrived at Damascus International Airport as part of an air bridge announced by Riyadh.

This visit comes less than a month after rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad’s regime, forcing him to flee to Russia on December 8.