In a shift, Gulf media outlets broadcast Syria's Assad speech on earthquake

Saudi, Emirati and other TV stations in the region typically do not broadcast the Syrian president’s speeches, but relations have slightly improved and Gulf states have sent aid to Syria following the earthquake.
Syrians gather near a poster of President Bashar al-Assad hanging outside the emergency section of a hospital in Hama, on February 6, 2023, following a deadly earthquake. - The Syrian government urged the international community to come to its aid after more than 850 people died in the country following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in neighbouring Turkey.(Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)
Syrians gather near a poster of President Bashar al-Assad hanging outside the emergency section of a hospital following a deadly earthquake, Hama, Syria, Feb. 6, 2023. - Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images
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Adam Lucente
@Adam_Lucente

Several Arab Gulf outlets, some owned by the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), broadcast a speech by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Thursday. The move signals a shift, especially in Saudi-owned media coverage, after years of going dark and refraining from any broadcast of Assad's televised addresses. 

Assad delivered the speech at around 1 p.m. ET on the state of the country following the earthquake.

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