Syria’s Bashar Assad arrived Sunday in the United Arab Emirates, his second visit to the Gulf since a devastating earthquake last month prompted Arab outreach to his internationally isolated government.
The trip – Assad’s second to the oil-rich UAE in as many years – comes after a visit to Oman last month, his only official engagement in Arab countries since the start of Syria’s war in 2011.
“Bashar Al-Assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic, arrived today (Sunday) in the UAE on an official visit, accompanied by his wife, Asma,” UAE state media said.
The Syrian leader was greeted in the capital Abu Dhabi by Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the official news agency WAM reported.
Abu Dhabi, which normalized relations with Assad’s government in 2018, has led aid efforts in the aftermath of the Feb. 6 earthquake that struck southern Türkiye and northern Syria, killing tens of thousands.
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