Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the upcoming Arab summit scheduled for May 19 in Saudi Arabiathe Syrian presidency announced today.

This announcement is made one day after Mr Arab League brought Syria back into its fold, from where it had been excluded in 2011 after the popular uprising that developed into a civil war.

The head of state “received an invitation from King Salman” to attend this year’s annual meeting in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, the Syrian presidency said in a statement.

“Holding the upcoming summit in Saudi Arabia will strengthen joint Arab action,” said Syrian president. The invitation was extended by the Saudi ambassador to Jordan, Najef al-Sudairi.

The Syrian head of state had last participated in 2010 at the annual summit of the League of Arab States, held in Sirte, Libya, before he was ostracized by his counterparts.

Saudi Arabia and Syria announced on Tuesday that they are reopening their diplomatic missions after eleven years of severing relations.

The oil-rich Gulf monarchy has recently reached out to Syria as well as Iran, a major backer of Assad.

The decision by Saudi Arabia, the head of the Gulf states and a major influence in the region, came two days after Syria’s readmission to the Arab League, announced on Sunday in Cairo.

Bashar al-Assad has recently emerged from pariah status, benefiting mainly from a surge of solidarity in February after the earthquake leveled large swaths of Syria and Turkey.