Saudi king on landmark Syria visit

Damascus: The Syrian capital is preparing to welcome King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, with "unprecedented" hospitality, sources in Damascus say.

The welcome ceremony of the royal guest will be a festive event, attended by government and public alike, and hotels in the Syrian capital are already fully booked with the huge Saudi delegation that is accompanying King Abdullah.

Schoolchildren carrying flowers are expected to line the streets of Damascus which will be decorated with the national flags of both Syria and Saudi Arabia, although the exact timing of the royal visit has not been disclosed to journalists.

Most believe, however, that the Saudi king will be arriving today, which is the date of 36th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. The king will be staying for more than one night, and expected to visit the northern city of Aleppo.

Although royal visits by Saudi monarchs are not new to Syria, this one is being particularly treated as an important event, due to the four years of tension in Syrian-Saudi relations, resulting from the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 and the 2006 war in Lebanon.

Before that, King Abdullah had been the first Arab guest to visit Syria in 2000, shortly after President Bashar Al Assad came to power, expressing support back then, for the young leader, his reform programme, and Syria's right to restore the occupied Golan Heights.

Do you think the visit will help boost ties between the two countries? Should more such visits be made by heads of state to improve relations among Arab countries?

Yes I think the region should become closer and more supportive of each other. Have a Nice Day.
Michael Love
Rouse Hill NSW,Australia
Posted: October 06, 2009, 06:36