Syria's interim president makes first foreign trip

Syria's state news agency SANA reported that on February 2, the country's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip since being appointed to the position in Syria's transitional government.

The visit comes as Syria is pushing for cooperation with regional countries to restore stability and rebuild the country following a domestic power shift that saw the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December last year.

Syria's interim president and Asaad al-Shaibani, who was appointed to head the country's foreign affairs ministry during the transition period, were welcomed by Saudi officials upon their arrival in the capital Riyadh.

According to SANA, Mr. Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to meet with the host country's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Previously, Saudi Arabia sent congratulations to the Syrian interim president when he was appointed to this position on January 29.

Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar are expected to play an important role in supporting Syria's economic recovery as well as promoting stability and peace in the region.

On January 30, Syria's newly appointed interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa received Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Damascus. During the meeting, the Qatari Emir stressed the need to form a government that represents all sectors of Syrian society to consolidate stability and promote reconstruction, development and prosperity projects.

After the fall of President Assad's regime on December 8, 2024, Qatar quickly re-established relations with Syria and was the second country after Türkiye to reopen its embassy in the capital Damascus. Qatar is also one of the leading countries in supporting the reconstruction of Syria.

In recent times, the Syrian transitional government has continuously welcomed high-ranking foreign diplomatic delegations, aiming to enhance international dialogue and cooperation.