Saudi authorities have released Lebanese national Mehdi Rachid Kanso, who was detained in the country, according to al-Markaziya agency and several local media outlets.

The agency indicates this release is part of "a resolution process in the case of Lebanese detainees in the kingdom, which began several months ago and led to the release of a large number of prisoners, among whom is the young Haïdar Slim, released last month." Kanso, for his part, had been detained for about a year in connection with a financial affair.

Lebanon has received promises from Saudi Arabia to gradually release detainees, provided they are not involved in security-related cases. These efforts are part of "the new chapter opened between the two countries, particularly since the beginning of the new mandate," the agency believes.

Relations between Lebanon and Gulf Arab countries had deteriorated in recent years due to Hezbollah's influence on the Lebanese political scene and its hostile stance towards these countries.

Hezbollah, backed by Iran, was militarily weakened after its war against Israel between October 2023 and November 2024, prompting Gulf countries to reconsider their stance towards Lebanon. During their respective visits to Saudi Arabia, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that efforts were underway to lift the travel ban to Lebanon imposed on Saudi nationals and to revive Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia, as a sign of warming relations between the two countries.