(Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad met Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in Dubai, the Syrian presidency said in a statement on Friday, his first visit to an Arab state since the Syrian war began in 2011.

       Assad also met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Emirati state news agency (WAM) reported on Friday.

       The two leaders discussed a number of issues of common concern, emphasized the preservation of the territorial integrity of Syria and the withdrawal of foreign forces, in addition to political and humanitarian support for Syria and its people to reach a peaceful solution to all the challenges it faces, WAM reported.

       The meeting marked the latest in a series of diplomatic overtures that point to a shift underway in the Middle East where several Arab countries are reviving ties with al-Assad.

       (Reporting by Moataz Mohamed; editing by Franklin Paul and Jonathan Oatis)