Alwaght- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in Dubai in the first visit to an Arab nation since the civil war started in 2011.
Upon arriving in Dubai, Assad met with UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The visit sends the strongest signal yet that Damascus is restoring its historical place in the Arab world.
During the years of war, Assad only visited Tehran and Moscow, his staunch backers in a war against a litany of foreign-backed terrorist groups.
A readout released by Assad's office said Sheikh Mohammed "welcomed the visit of President Assad and the accompanying delegation, which comes within the framework of the brotherly relations between the two countries, expressing his sincere wishes for Syria and its people that security and peace prevail throughout the region, and that stability and prosperity prevail throughout the region for the good and development of all."
"The meeting dealt with the overall relations between the two countries and the prospects for expanding the circle of bilateral cooperation," the readout said, "especially at the economic, investment and commercial levels, in a way that lives up to the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples."
The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, was among those suspended Syria seat at the Arab League in November 2011. It also closed embassy in Damascus.
Abu Dhabi began to shift its policy as Assad crushed the terrorists and regained the lost territories with assistance from allies.
The UAE reopened its embassy in December 2018. Its Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Damascus in December and met with the Syrian leader in a sign of warming ties.
