Syria’s Sharaa heads to UAE for second go to to a Gulf nation as chief

UAE’s Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan greets Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as UAE’s Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court docket for Particular Affairs Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan appears on, at Al Shati Palace, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates April 13, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa will journey to the United Arab Emirates for his second go to to a Gulf state as president on Sunday, Syria’s official information company reported, because the nation’s Islamist rulers search to reassure overseas companions that they are going to create an inclusive political system.

Sharaa will probably be accompanied by overseas minister Assad al-Shibani, who visited the UAE earlier this 12 months.

They’re anticipated to debate problems with mutual curiosity, the SANA state information company reported, with out giving particulars.

Sharaa visited Saudi Arabia in February on his first overseas journey since assuming the presidency in January.

His go to to the UAE comes as the brand new Syrian management makes an attempt to strengthen ties with Arab and Western leaders following the autumn of Bashar al-Assad in December by the hands of Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Abu Dhabi has been a fierce opponent of Islamist teams throughout the area, together with in Egypt, Sudan and Libya. It beforehand mentioned that extremism and terrorism had been a significant concern in Syria following the autumn of Assad.

The West is watching Syria’s leaders carefully to make sure they create an inclusive authorities with efficient establishments, preserve order in a rustic fractured by civil battle and forestall a resurgence of Islamic State or al Qaeda.

Syria is in determined want of sanctions reduction to revive its financial system after 14 years of battle, throughout which the US and Europe imposed wide-ranging sanctions to squeeze Assad.