(MENAFN) On Friday, a Saudi delegation met with Syrian Health Minister Maher al-Sharaa in Damascus to explore avenues for enhancing medical and humanitarian cooperation, according to media sources.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that representatives from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center held discussions with al-Sharaa, focusing on setting priorities "to support the medical sector and achieving health equity for all Syrian citizens."

Both parties agreed on conducting field visits to hospitals across Syria "to assess the basic needs and work to secure them."

Al-Sharaa acknowledged the health sector's significant challenges, attributing them to corruption and nepotism under the previous regime.

The meeting aligns with the new Syrian administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, prioritizing the restoration of critical infrastructure, including the healthcare system, which suffered extensive damage during the civil war against the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime.

Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after opposition forces seized Damascus on December 8, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long dominance that began in 1963.

The regime's fall followed a rapid offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters, who captured major cities in less than two weeks.

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