Ammon News - Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will arrive in Syria on Tuesday in the first visit by a top Saudi official since the conflict erupted in 2011, according to Syria’s information ministry.

Prince Faisal's expected arrival in Damascus comes after his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad visited Jeddah on April 12.

"Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is arriving at Damascus international airport today on an official visit to Syria," the information ministry said in a statement.

It said the Saudi foreign minister was due to arrive in the afternoon.

That visit came days before Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of nine Arab nations focused on ending Syria's isolation at a time of fast-paced diplomatic shifts across the region.

Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed to begin the process to resume consular services and flights between the two countries after they normalised ties.

Regional efforts have increased during the past few weeks to re-engage with Syria and reduce its isolation from the Arab world as a result of the decade-long civil war in the country.

Syria has been suspended from the Arab League since the Assad government began a brutal clampdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Mr Mekdad said after their meeting in Jeddah they had agreed on the importance of resolving humanitarian difficulties, as well as providing an environment for aid to reach all parts of Syria.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with the Assad's government in 2012 but a February 6 earthquake that wreaked devastation in Turkey and Syria sparked Arab outreach to the Syrian government, and the surprise rapprochement between Riyadh and Damascus-backer Tehran was announced the following month.

The visits are a major step towards ending Syria's decade-long regional isolation over its response to protests against President Bashar Al Assad.

The National News