Nadine Osman

Syria’s transitional President, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, embarked on his first foreign trip as Syria’s leader on February 2, meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. This visit marks a crucial moment, highlighting significant shifts in regional alliances.

Sharaa assumed office just a week earlier, following his leadership in the campaign that ousted the long-standing President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024. The transition began hours after the fall of Damascus when Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, the outgoing Prime Minister and last head of government of the Ba’athist government, agreed to lead the provisional government in a caretaking capacity. Two days later, al-Jalali transferred power to Mohammed al-Bashir, Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government.

By December 10, the transitional administration announced that it would remain in place until March 1, with all ministers from the Syrian Salvation Government continuing in their roles. On January 29, Sharaa was named the President of the transitional period, and he stated that as president, he would form an interim legislative council to govern until a new constitution was approved.

In a written statement, Sharaa—who was born in Saudi Arabia and spent part of his childhood there—revealed that his discussions with the Crown Prince spanned a wide range of topics, including humanitarian and economic cooperation, as well as future plans in energy, technology, education, and health.

“We held an extensive meeting during which we experienced a genuine desire to support Syria in building its future,” Sharaa stated on Telegram.

Meanwhile, the official Saudi Press Agency reported that Prince Mohammed and Sharaa focused on “ways to support the security and stability of sisterly Syria” and discussed “ways to strengthen bilateral relations.”

The new Syrian administration, under Sharaa’s leadership, is working to rebuild ties with Arab and Western leaders following Assad’s fall. Saudi Arabia has played a central role in this effort, hosting Syria’s new foreign and defence ministers in early January, followed by a meeting of Syrian, Arab, and Western officials later that month. In December, Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, became the first head of state to visit Damascus since Assad’s ouster.

Rabha Seif Allam, a regional expert at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, stressed that Riyadh plays a pivotal role in helping Syria reintegrate into the Arab world and regain an international presence. She noted that Saudi Arabia, as the largest economy in the Arab world, stands to benefit greatly from Syria’s stabilization.

“Iran has effectively been sidelined in Syria, reducing its influence in the region. Additionally, the issue of drug trafficking from Syria to Gulf countries, which once caused instability, has been resolved,” she said.

She also pointed out that distancing Damascus from Tehran offers a “strategic advantage” to Riyadh.

Although Saudi Arabia and Iran ended a diplomatic standoff in 2023 after seven years, the two countries continue to differ on several geopolitical issues, including their opposing sides in the Syrian civil war.

These growing ties with Arab leaders represent a sharp contrast to Syria’s previous isolation under Assad. Assad’s brutal crackdown on protests in 2011 led the Arab League to suspend Syria’s membership for over a decade. In 2023, Saudi Arabia took steps to reverse Assad’s isolation, welcoming him back into the Arab League, hoping his reintegration would encourage him to address key regional concerns, especially the rampant trade of captagon, an amphetamine-like drug that has become widespread in the Gulf among partygoers and laborers.

Photo: Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) is greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) upon his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 2, 2025. (Credit: AA)