Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria since 2012

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia has announced the appointment of its first ambassador to Syria since severing ties with Damascus 12 years ago, marking an ongoing thawing in relations since the war-torn country was readmitted to the Arab League over a year ago. The announcement of Faisal al-Mujfel’s appointment by the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Sunday comes over a year after Syria was readmitted to the 22-member Arab League. It remained suspended from the group for more than a decade over President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2011. Riyadh severed ties with Damascus in 2012. There was no immediate comment from Syria on the development.