Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Social media activists circulated videos and photos of the arrival of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the Saudi city of Jeddah to attend the 32nd Arab Summit, which sparked interaction.
Activists were divided over who welcomed Assad’s arrival and who criticized him, recalling the situation of the Syrian people.
And the official Saudi Press Agency published pictures of the reception of the Syrian President at King Abdulaziz International Airport, where he was received by the Deputy Governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region, Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, in addition to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Secretary of the Jeddah Governorate, Saleh bin Ali. Al-Turki, the Director of Police in Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region, Major General Saleh Al-Jabri, and the Undersecretary of Royal Protocols, Fahd Al-Sahil.
The Syrian Foreign Minister, Faisal al-Miqdad, had said in press statements that preceded Assad’s arrival, “This is a new opportunity for us to tell our Arab brothers that we are not looking at the past, but rather into the future,” according to the Syrian News Agency at the time.
Al-Miqdad added, “There are many challenges that we must discuss and mobilize our Arab forces to confront them, including the issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the issue of climate.”
Al-Miqdad expressed his happiness “with our presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we wish this summit every success, and we are here to work with our Arab brothers to determine the parameters to face the challenges that we are all exposed to.”
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