Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad has paid an official visit to an Arab country for the first time since the start of the Syrian war eleven years ago.
Assad flew to the United Arab Emirates on Friday and met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Sajed al-Nahjan, the Emirates state news agency, WAM, reported.
The conversation was about the "brotherly relations" between the two countries and "peace" in the Middle East.
Assad also met with the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, according to the Syrian Presidency.
Syria was expelled from the Arab League in 2011.
The following year, the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Damascus.
For some time now, however, the two Arab states have been moving towards each other again.
In December 2018, the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus.
Last November, the Emirates' Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Sajed al-Nahjan, traveled to the Syrian capital to meet Assad.
The resistance against Assad's rule was formed on March 15, 2011.
The peaceful demonstrations were violently put down by the leadership in Damascus.
The protests turned into an armed uprising that culminated in a multifaceted war in which foreign actors like Russia also got involved.
With Moscow's support, Assad's forces have regained control of large parts of the country in recent years.
Moscow is currently recruiting thousands of fighters in Syria for the war in Ukraine.
They are supposed to fight for the regular Russian army or with militias in Ukraine.