Syrian president in Saudi Arabia for Arab summit

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on Thursday to attend the Arab League's 32nd summit on Friday.

Assad was received by Prince Badr bin Sultan, deputy governor of Mecca, and Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League at King Abdulaziz International Airport.

The visit, the first since the begining of the Syrian war in 2011, comes as Syria and Saudi Arabia have resumed diplomatic missions in both countries, which have been suspended since November 2011.

Earlier this month, the Arab League voted to reinstate Syria's membership in the 22-member league.