Saudi Arabia has appointed its first ambassador to Syria in 12 years, signaling a thaw in relations since Syria's readmission to the Arab League over a year ago. Faisal al-Mujfel has been named as the kingdom's ambassador to Syria, marking a significant diplomatic development. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League after being suspended for over a decade due to President Bashar Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2011. Riyadh had severed ties with Damascus in 2012.
The ongoing civil war in Syria, now in its 14th year, has resulted in the deaths of nearly half a million people and the displacement of half of the country's pre-war population of 23 million. Efforts to find a political solution to the conflict have been largely unsuccessful.
