The newly appointed temporary president of Syria in SyriaAhmed al -Shara, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for his first overseas journey after his insurgent coalition takes off her longtime dictator Bashar al -Assad.
Mr. Al Shara landed in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, early on Sunday afternoon. He’s anticipated to stay in Saudi Arabia for 2 days and meet with the Crown Prince of the Kingdom, wealthy in oil, Mohammed bin Salman, in response to Syrian and Saudi state media. The 2 leaders will focus on the strengthening of relationships and the best way to collect help To raise international sanctions imposed on Syria, in response to experiences in Saudi media.
The election of Saudi Arabia for Mr Al Shara’s first journey overseas is seen as a mirrored image of shifting political alternations to Syria beneath the brand new management of the nation: away from Iran, which was a key ally to the ASAD regime and the Persian Gulf.
The journey follows the noise of diplomatic conferences within the capital of Syria, Damascus in latest weeks. Because the insurgent coalition seized energy in December, diplomats from Europe, the US, the Persian Gulf and Russia flock to Damascus to fulfill with Mr Al Shara and to determine contacts with their authorities.
The outcomes of those diplomatic overtures will assist to kind the brand new political map of Syria and the dynamics of energy within the Center East, a area that has been processed after the wars of Israel in Gaza and Lebanon and the collapse of the Assad authorities.
Iran had its affect all through the area sharply reduced From the wars of Israel, that are geared toward Tehran’s proxies. Russia is going through a severe problem to its navy technique within the Center East and the Mediterranean after shedding its important ally within the area, Mr Al-Assad. And Turkey, who supported the rebels, has develop into a number one power in Syria.
Whereas Initially cautious Concerning the Islamist factions which have taken energy in Syria final December, the Gulf international locations have since elevated their dedication and help for Mr Al Shara and its non permanent authorities. At first, they referred to as on the brand new leaders of Syria to reveal inclusion and tolerance for the nation’s varied sects.
On Thursday, Emir from Qatar met Mr Al Shara in Damascus, celebrating the primary go to to the Syrian capital of the Gulf of Persian for the reason that insurgent coalition seized management. The go to emphasised the curiosity of the highly effective rulers of the Sunni within the Persian Gulf within the formation of Syria after Assad beneath the management of Al Shara.
For Saudi Arabia, latest occasions have offered a crucial opening to verify affect in each Syria and Lebanon, two international locations during which the dominion has as soon as benefited for swinging and to a big extent losses from Iran over the past decade.
Saudi Arabia designs help for the brand new Syria authorities and requires the abolition of Western and European sanctions imposed on Mr Al-Assad’s authorities. Following the appointment of Mr Al Shara as a brief president final week, the King of Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince despatched greetings to Mr Al Shara, wishing him success within the main Syria.
Mr Al Shara additionally alerts the significance of the connection, Giving your first exclusive interview with Arab media In December to the tv operator Al Arabiya, not of Al Jazeera from Qatar, which he has appeared many occasions over the past decade.
“Saudi Arabia performs a significant function in the way forward for Syria and I’m happy with every part it did us,” he informed Al Arabia, recalling his childhood years spent in Riyadh earlier than his household returned to Syria.
For many years, Syria has been the closest Arab ally of Iran within the Center East and a key participant in competitors for regional affect between Tehran and the Gulf monarchies.
After the Syria Civil Struggle started in 2011, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been unwavering opponents of Mr Al-Assad. Each side closed their embassies in Syria in 2012 in opposition to the backdrop of the brutal repression of Mr Al-Assad’s dissidents, which grew to become a pave within the area.
However after a decade of conflict appears to be attitudes to the Persian Gulf replacement Whereas Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sought to return Mr Al-Assad to the Arab fold, no less than partly led by the need to restrict Iran’s rising affect within the area at the moment.
In early 2023, Saudi Arabia provided humanitarian help to the Assad regime after a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria. Later that yr, Syria was once more admitted to the Arabian League after a decade of isolation.
However with the overthrow of Mr Al-Assad Iran, he was eliminated in Syria-and Saudi Arabia appeared to have taken the chance to attempt to set up his affect with Damascus.
