The devastating earthquake that tore through Syria and Turkey two weeks ago has left cities in ruin and tens of thousands dead. But as humanitarian assistance began to pour in, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad found himself at the center of attention.

After years in the political wilderness, Assad is now taking a steady stream of calls and visitors, and on Feb. 20, he went on a red carpet visit to Oman. Earthquake diplomacy seems to be working out well for Assad, and there are even signs that Saudi Arabia — long the main obstacle to Syria’s reintegration in Arab politics — has softened its approach.

Since the earthquake, Syrian state media has reveled in the many supportive messages and delegations received by the president. In addition to visiting Syrian allies from Lebanon, Assad hosted the Emirati and Jordanian foreign ministers. He also spoke on the phone, for the first time, with King Hamad of Bahrain and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Analysts note that the diplomatic activity emanates mainly from governments that already have working ties with Damascus, but it still matters. “Arab states that have normalized or want to normalize see in this catastrophe a platform to accelerate their efforts, through phone calls and visits,” Syrian journalist Ibrahim Hamidi wrote in the Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.