Syria's Foreign Minister holds talks with Saudi officials in Riyadh during first overseas trip

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani held talks with his counterpart in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's defence minister during the Syrian interim government's first international trip, as it seeks to build alliances and bolster its regional standing during a crucial transition period.

Countries in the region and beyond have reached out to the administration led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham chief Ahmad Al Shara since the group, once affiliated with Al Qaeda, led a rebel offensive that toppled president Bashar Al Assad on December 8.

“Through this first visit in the history of Free Syria, we aspire to open a new, bright page in Syrian-Saudi relations that befits the long shared history between the two countries,” Mr Al Shibani said on X as the Syrian delegation arrived in Riyadh on Thursday. He was accompanied by the Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra and the head of the General Intelligence Service, Anas Khattab.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with the Assad regime in 2012, as did other Arab states. But Riyadh restored relations last year and was instrumental in Syria's return to the Arab League, ending its regional isolation before the regime was toppled by the rebels last month.

Gulf countries had sought assurance from Mr Al Assad that Damascus would stop the flow of the drug Captagon from Syria. The amphetamine-like narcotic was Syria's most valuable export in the final years of his rule, with the value of the trade estimated at billions of dollars.

Syrian state media said Mr Al Shibani's visit to Saudi Arabia was at the invitation of Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. The delegation was received at Riyadh airport by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji.

Prince Faisal assured Mr Al Shibani of the kingdom's support to ensure security and stability in Syria during their meeting, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a post on X that he had discussed with Mr Al Shibani how best to support Syria's political transition.

Last week, Mr Al Shara told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel that the kingdom “will certainly have a large role in Syria's future”, pointing to “a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries”.

Syria's economy and infrastructure have been devastated by more than 13 years of civil war that began with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests by Mr Al Assad's forces in 2011.

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Oman pledged support for Syria in phone calls with Mr Al Shibani this week, and the charge d'affaires of the EU mission, Michael Ohnmacht, held talks with the Foreign Minister in Damascus.

Meanwhile, preparations for Syria’s National Dialogue Conference are continuing and a date for the dialogue has yet to be set, three sources from Syria’s interim government told The National on Thursday. It was previously reported that the conference was set to take place between January 4 and 5.

“The announcement that the national dialogue conference was on that date was just talk,” Mohammad Al Faisal, a political affairs official in the interim government, clarified. “In reality, we have never officially announced a date.

“Preparations are still ongoing, but it’s a big conference that brings together various facets of Syrian society, so it will take time to put them together,” he added. “It will be sooner rather than later. It’s not clear when yet, but hopefully soon.”

Another political source hinted that the conference was likely to take place towards the end of January but declined to provide a date, saying only “preparations are ongoing and procedures must be put in place”.

The announcement of the conference last week followed statements by Syria's de facto leader, who said elections in Syria could take up to four years, and drafting a new constitution might take three years.

Local media reported that 1,200 Syrians would attend the event in personal capacities rather than as representatives of any political group. Additionally, 70 to 100 people from each governorate, representing all segments of society – including women and young people – will be invited to participate.

The conference could be the first pan-national gathering of Syria's political and sectarian groups after years of civil war. It will be a critical test of whether the new regime can fulfil its promise to unite the country in the post-Assad era.

In Homs city, Syrian security forces are conducting an operation, state media reported, with a monitor saying it focused on two districts that are home to the Alawite minority.

"The Ministry of Interior, in co-operation with the Military Operations Department, begins a wide-scale combing operation in the neighbourhoods of Homs city," state news agency Sana said, quoting a security official. It added that the targets were "war criminals and those involved in crimes who refused to hand over their weapons and go to the settlement centres", as well as "hidden ammunition and weapons".