Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received an invitation to next week’s Arab summit in Saudi Arabia. Assad received an invitation from Saudi King Salman “to participate in the 32nd Arab League summit which will be held in Jeddah on May 19”, the Syrian presidency said. The pan-Arab body had suspended Syria in November 2011 over its crackdown on protests which spiralled into a conflict that has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. On Sunday, the Arab League welcomed back Syria’s govt, securing Assad’s return to the Arab fold after years of isolation.