UAE ambassador takes post in Syria after 13 year break

For the first time in over a decade, a UAE ambassador to Syria was appointed on January 30, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Diplomat Hassan Ahmad Al-Shihi was appointed to the ambassador role that had been left vacant for 13 years amidst poor relations between the pair.
The Gulf state recalled its ambassador as the ongoing civil war broke out back in 2011 due to Assad’s reckless shutdown of pro-democracy protests. Notably, the UAE has in the past been a supporter of the Syrian opposition who have a tight grip of the northwest.
Syrian media reported that the Emirati official arrived in Damascus on January 29 and was welcomed by Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
Bashar Al-Assad was received by the UAE in March 2022 and has had a couple of trips to the country since then. It was the first time that the under-scrutiny strongman was welcomed by an Arab State since the eruption of the deadly war.
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Widely considered a pariah state in the region, Syria, who were kicked out of the group in 2011, was readmitted to the 22-state strong Arab League in May 2023.
Originally formed in 1945, Syria was an original member of the organisation alongside Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Transjordan (now Jordan), Iraq, and Lebanon.
Despite an improvement in ties, which the ambassador’s recent appointment emphasises, between the two, it is unlikely that it will result in much needed financial aid entering Syria due to Western sanctions which have further crippled its economy.
In late 2022, the United Nations found that, “Amidst a record increase in prices of more than 800% in the last two years alone, 90% of the population now lives below the poverty line.”
The Independent/ AP/ Fox News