Saudi and Syrian leaders to meet as ties warm

RIYADH (Reuters) - Syria's President Bashar al-Assad will hold talks with King Abdullah on Wednesday in Riyadh, in the clearest sign of a thaw in ties between two Arab countries that have been at odds over regional issues.

The two leaders will discuss "ways to bolster bilateral ties, as well as regional and international issues of common interest," state news agency SPA said.

King Abdullah will also meet Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak in Riyadh on Wednesday, the agency said. It did not draw a link between the visits.

Saudi media have reported that Riyadh will this week host a mini-summit of the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal last week invited Assad to visit Saudi Arabia after meeting his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem at an Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Egypt.

Tensions between Damascus and Riyadh rose this year, after Syria backed Hamas during Israel's three-week assault in Gaza while Saudi Arabia stuck by President Mahmoud Abbas, who accused the Islamist group of provoking the invasion.

Regional analysts say Saudi Arabia is mending ties with Syria to restore a semblance of Arab harmony before a summit later this month, to calm regional tensions and to nudge Damascus toward cooling its alliance with Iran, whose growing regional influence has worried Saudi Arabia.

(Reporting by Souhail Karam; Editing by Kevin Liffey)