DAMASCUS, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A Saudi Arabian delegation led by a royal court advisor on Sunday met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, at the presidential palace in the Syrian capital of Damascus, according to Al-Arabiya TV.

Details of the meeting have not been disclosed, and neither side issued an immediate statement.

The visit comes amid a wave of high-level contacts between Syria's new authorities and regional as well as international representatives, reflecting a broader reassessment of relations with Damascus as the country navigates a sensitive political transition following the downfall of the previous government on Dec. 8.

On the same day, Saudi Arabia's King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center distributed food baskets and hygiene kits to 551 families in northern Syria's Aleppo, the second phase of a project providing support to those affected by the earthquake in early 2024, said the official Saudi Press Agency. ■