DAMASCUS, Syria

A Saudi delegation met Friday with Syrian Health Minister Maher al-Sharaa in Damascus to discuss ways to enhance humanitarian and medical cooperation, according to media reports.

Syrian state news agency, SANA said the delegation from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center met al-Sharaa and discussed setting priorities "to support the medical sector and achieving health equity for all Syrian citizens."

They agreed on field visits for the delegation to hospitals in Syria "to assess the basic needs and work to secure them."

Al-Sharaa acknowledged significant challenges for the health sector due to the corruption and nepotism during the former regime.

It comes as the new Syrian administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, focuses on rehabilitating infrastructure including the health sector, which was severely damaged during the civil war against the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's regime, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar