Syria and Saudi Arabia Reopen Air Routes After a Decade

Regular flights between Damascus, Syria, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have resumed after more than a decade. This development follows restored diplomatic ties and Syria's readmission to the Arab League. This move signifies a step forward in the relationship between the two nations, fostering further engagement and cooperation.

Regular flights between the Syrian capital of Damascus and Saudi Arabia resumed Wednesday for the first time in more than a decade. This resumption signifies a significant thaw in relations between the two nations, Syrian state media reported.

Syria and Saudi Arabia severed ties in 2012 following President Bashar Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters at the onset of the civil war. However, most Arab countries have since restored diplomatic relations with Damascus, which was readmitted to the Arab League last year. Ayman Soussan, Syria's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, described the resumption of flights as "an additional step in the process of development in relations between the two brotherly countries," according to state news agency SANA.

In May, Syrian pilgrims traveled directly to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, but Wednesday's Syrian Airlines flight to Riyadh marks the return of regular commercial flights. Syria's 13-year civil war is now largely at a standstill, with Damascus reasserting control over most of the territory, while the northwest remains under opposition control and the northeast under Kurdish forces.

(With inputs from agencies.)