Cairo  - Saudi Arabian King Abdullah is to host a summit Wednesday in Riyadh with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a bid to strengthen relations between the Arab states.

"The summit is seen as preparation for the Arab League summit in Doha," expected to be held on March 30, the official MENA news agency quoted Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki as saying.

Al-Assad's visit to the Sunni kingdom marks a breakthrough in Saudi-Syrian relations, after years of strained ties because of differences over the Palestinian cause and Shiite Iran.

Syria and Qatar back the Islamist militant movement Hamas, while Saudi Arabia and Egypt are aligned with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group.

Relations were also strained after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, who had close Saudi ties. Damascus has denied accusations of involvement in the billionaire's slaying, which is now the subject of an international tribunal investigation based in The Hague.

The summit comes as Egypt brokers Palestinian reconciliation talks in Cairo, which includes rival factions Hamas and Fatah.

"Any Arab efforts to be exerted to help achieve more Arab cooperation and understanding will definitely help the Palestinian cause, which is the Arab's main, central cause," Zaki added.

The Palestinian talks, which started last month, aim at uniting all factions and forming a national unity government. dpa