First time since 2012: Saudi Arabia appoints new ambassador to Syria

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appointed a new ambassador to Syria today, marking the first envoy to the war-torn country since it closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012.

Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Syria in late 2023, and Faisal Al-Mujfel will serve as an ambassador – the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

Syria reopened its embassy in Riyadh last year and appointed a new ambassador in December.

Several Arab states have re-established their ties with Syria in the past few years after almost a decade of near-isolation, with the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad attending his first Arab League summit in 2023 after previously being suspended.