Syria, President Assad arrived in the Emirates for an official visit

ABU DHABI-The president of Syria, Bashar al Assad, arrived today Sunday in the United Arab Emirates for an official visit during which he will have meetings with the highest authorities of the Persian Gulf kingdom. According to local media reports, Assad and his wife Asma were welcomed by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan at Abu Dhabi airport. The visit comes more than a month after the devastating earthquake which struck Turkey and Syria on 6 February, and which brought to the fore the issue of sending humanitarian aid to the government in Damascus, which has been almost completely isolated for over ten years from regional Arab allies of the US and from Europe.