Arabiya said Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani, had said he had information Assad would sign the plan, but gave no further details. Sheikh Hamad heads an Arab ministerial committee on Syria.

Assad has repeatedly stalled over the plan, which calls for an end to bloodshed, the release of prisoners, the withdrawal of troops from cities, a start to talks with the opposition and Arab monitors on the ground.

Omani Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah also said on Sunday he was optimistic Syria will sign an Arab peace plan to end a violent crackdown on anti-government protests before an Arab League meeting later this week.

“We are optimistic that Syria will join the Arab League in signing the protocol, which is ready now, within 24 hours,” Abdullah said ahead of a Gulf Cooperation Council in the Kingdom's capital due to start on Monday.

“That is what we hope for. If not, the Arab League foreign ministers will meet on Wednesday to consider measures that might be taken in the future,” he added.

A committee of Arab foreign ministers on Syria said on Saturday Arab states may take their proposals for ending Damascus’s crackdown on protests to the UN Security Council next week unless the Arab country agreed to implement the initiative.