CAIRO - Syria's flag carrier Syrian Air will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting on Sunday, the airline said in a Facebook post.

All flights between Syria and the UAE had been suspended in January after Islamist-led rebels toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The announcement comes days after the UAE's civil aviation authority announced the resumption of air flights between the Gulf country and Syria. No UAE-based airlines have announced plans to fly to Syria so far.

The resumption of flights between the two countries followed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s first visit to the UAE as leader, where he met UAE's president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The visit came as Syria's new Islamist rulers seek to reassure foreign partners they will create an inclusive political system.

(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Chris Reese and Jamie Freed)