Syria’s Assad in UAE to mark ongoing thaw in relations

By ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in the United Arab Emirates Sunday, his first visit to the wealthy Gulf country since the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last month. Assad, who arrived with his wife, Asma, and a delegation of Syrian officials, was received by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a statement from Assad’s office. The visit Sunday marks a continuation in the ongoing thaw of relations between Syria and other Arab countries, more than a decade after the 22-member Arab League suspended Syria’s membership over Assad’s brutal crackdown on protesters and later on civilians during the war.