Saudi minister visits Syria for first time since Assad's ouster

Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is set to meet with new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is eyeing investments from wealthy Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat landed in Syria on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported, in his first visit to Damascus since Islamist-led rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad last month.

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat landed in Syria on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported, in his first visit to Damascus since Islamist-led rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad last month (AFP)

Syrian authorities said Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is set to meet with new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is eyeing investments from wealthy Gulf states to rebuild the war-torn country.

The last time bin Farhan was in Damascus, in April 2023, he met Assad in a landmark visit that ended more than a decade of strained relations.

Riyadh was key to returning Assad's Syria to the Arab League, after severing ties in 2012 over the government's crackdown on pro-democracy protests that sparked civil war.

Now, Syria's new leadership is eager for Saudi investment to help rebuild the country's war-shattered infrastructure and boost its economy.

The Islamist authorities' first foreign visit since seizing power was to Saudi Arabia, which has begun sending humanitarian aid to the country.

Last month, Sharaa told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV that Riyadh "will certainly have a large role in Syria's future", pointing to "a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries".