Direct route could be expanded to cover Jeddah and Dammam depending on demand RIYADH: Commercial flights between Saudi Arabia and Syria resumed on Wednesday amid warming ties after a 12-year freeze. A Syrian Airlines plane from Damascus carrying 170 passengers touched down in Riyadh, marking the resumption of a regular route. Ayman Soussan, Syria’s ambassador to the Kingdom, said the two countries had agreed to operate one round-trip flight per week between the two capitals. Syrian Transport Ministry official Suleiman Khalil said the direct route could be expanded to cover airports in Jeddah and Dammam, depending on demand. Passenger flights between the two countries were halted in 2012 when Riyadh severed ties with Damascus over Bashar Assad’s crackdown on anti-government protesters at the start of the country"s civil war. Services between Syria and Saudi Arabia resumed in May on a temporary basis for pilgrims taking part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage. While Saudi Arabia has championed restoring ties with Assad, the rapprochement has been sluggish. The Kingdom named a new ambassador to Damascus only in May, more than a year after relations werere-established. In May 2023, Assad attended his first Arab summit in 13 years in Saudi Arabia, mending ties with Riyadh and marking Syria’s return to the regional fold.