Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad arrived in Saudi Arabia on a working visit, which marks the first visit since the start of the conflict in Syria in 2011.

The Syrian news agency, SANA, reported that Al-Miqdad arrived in Jeddah upon the invitation of his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, to hold talks on bilateral relations and issues of common concern.

The visit follows a February report that Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan was expected to visit Damascus, marking a significant thaw in the strained relations between the two countries.

The relationship between Riyadh and Damascus has been strained since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries supported the opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

With the support of Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah, the Syrian government accused Saudi Arabia of supporting extremist groups and accused some Gulf countries of attempting to overthrow the Syrian government. As a result, the two countries severed diplomatic relations in 2012, and the Saudi government expelled the Syrian ambassador from the country.

Since then, the relationship between the two countries has been strained, with Saudi Arabia continuing to support opposition groups and calling for President Assad's removal from power.

Recently, particularly after the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, recent attempts have been made to restore diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Syria. The Gulf Cooperation Council is set to discuss the issue of Syria's return to the Arab League in its upcoming meeting.