Joseph Aoun will travel to Saudi Arabia on March 2, marking his first official visit abroad

A high-level diplomatic source told L’Orient-Le Jour on Sunday that President Joseph Aoun will travel to Saudi Arabia next Sunday.

This announcement comes exactly one month after Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Beirut. It will be the first overseas trip for the head of state since his election to the presidency on Jan. 9. This trip aims to normalize relations between the two countries after years of tension, with Riyadh notably denouncing Iran's influence in Lebanon via Hezbollah.

President Aoun had already announced in a statement from the Baabda Palace a few weeks ago that he had reserved his first overseas visit to Saudi Arabia, in response to an invitation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the Wahhabi kingdom.

During a phone call, the head of state assured the Saudi leader that Saudi Arabia "will be his first destination" abroad. The general was elected with the support of several countries, including Saudi Arabia and the other members of the Quintet (France, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar).