Syrian opposition figure and prominent Syrian human rights activist Haytham al-Maleh (L) congratulates Syrian cleric Ahmed Moaz al- Khatib after he was elected to lead the National Coalition of Forces of the the Syrian Revolution and Opposition, formed after the Syrian National Council (SNC) agreed to the new group, on November 11, 2012.  [Xinhua/AFP]

The newly-formed Syrian opposition coalition on Monday gained recognition from the Arab League as the "representative of the aspirations of Syrian people."

The AL recognized the newly-formed Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces as the "representative of the aspirations of Syrian people," said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani after a meeting of Arab foreign ministers.

Before the meeting, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC) also recognized the new Syrian opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The coalition was established after a formal agreement was signed Sunday evening in the Qatari capital of Doha by Moaz al- Khatib, the newly-elected head of the united entity, and George Sabra, the new head of major opposition group the Syrian National Council (SNC).

The GCC, founded in 1981, consists of six Gulf countries -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

Foreign ministers of Arab countries gathered at the AL headquarters in downtown Cairo Monday night for a ministerial meeting, with current developments of the Syrian issue and the Palestinian UN bid on the top of their agenda.

(Xinhua contributed to the story)