Ahmed Al -Sharra, the new interim president of Syria, travels to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Syria is the newly appointed temporary presidentAhmed Al -Sharra arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday on his first foreign trip since his rebel alliance overthrew the dictator Bashar al -Assad a long time ago.

Mr. Al -Sharra fell in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, early on Sunday afternoon. It is expected that it will remain in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for two days and meet with the Crown Prince, the oil -rich kingdom, Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Syrian and Saudi news media. The two leaders will discuss strengthening relationships and how to gain support To lift international sanctions It was imposed on Syria, according to Saudi media reports.

The choice of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was selected for the journey of Mr. Al -Shara abroad as a reflection of the changing political alignment in Syria under the leadership of the new country: far from Iran, which was a major ally of the Assad regime, and towards the Gulf.

The trip follows a wave of diplomatic meetings in the capital of Syria, Damascus, in recent weeks. Since the rebel coalition seized power in December, diplomats have flocked from Europe, the United States, the Gulf and Russia to Damascus to meet Mr. Shara and create contacts with his government.

The results of these diplomatic initiatives will help form the new political map of Syria and the dynamics of power throughout the Middle East, a region that is reshaped in the wake of the wars of Israel in Gaza and Lebanon and the collapse of the Assad government.

Iran had its influence throughout the region I shrunk sharply By the wars of Israel, which targeted Tehran’s agents. Russia is facing a serious challenge to its military strategy in the Middle East and the Mediterranean after it lost its main ally in the region, Mr. Assad. Turkey, which supported the rebels, has emerged as a leading force in Syria.

while Initially About the Islamic factions that seized power in Syria last December, the Gulf states have since increased their participation and support for Mr. Sharra and his temporary government. Early, they urged the new leaders of Syria to prove inclusiveness and tolerance with the various sects in the country.

On Thursday, the Emir of Qatar met Mr. Shara in Damascus, on the occasion of the first visit to the Syrian capital by the head of state to the Gulf since the rebel coalition took control. The visit confirmed the interest of the powerful Sunni rulers in the formation of Syria after Assad under the leadership of Sharra.

As for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the recent events presented an important opening to reaffirm the influence on both Syria and Lebanon, two states, where the Kingdom was competing for influence and greatly lost to Iran over the past decade.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia provides support to the new government of Syria and called for the removal of Western and European sanctions imposed on the government of Mr. Assad. After the appointment of Mr. Al -Shara as a temporary president last week, the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sent and Led Prince congratulated Mr. Al -Sharra, wishing success in the leadership of Syria.

Mr. Al -Sharra also pointed to the importance of the relationship, Giving the first exclusive Arab media interview In December to Saudi Arabia’s broadcaster instead of the island in Qatar, which appeared several times over the past decade.

He told Al -Arabiya: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a major role in the future of Syria, and I am proud of everything I did for us,” remembering his childhood years he spent in Riyadh before his family returns to Syria.

For decades, Syria was the closest Arab ally in Iran in the Middle East and a major player in competing for the regional influence between the queens of Tehran and the Gulf.

After the civil war began in Syria in 2011, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were opposed to Mr. Assad. Both countries closed their embassies in Syria in 2012 amid a brutal campaign against dissidents by Mr. Assad, who became ostracized in the region.

But after a decade of the war, the positions of the Gulf appeared Convert When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sought to restore Mr. Assad to the Arab Taet-a step at least partially driven by the desire to curb Iran’s increasing impact in the region at the time.

In early 2023, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offered humanitarian aid to the Assad regime after a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria. Later that year, Syria was returned to the Arab League after a decade of isolation.

But with the overthrow of Mr. Assad, Iran was marginalized in Syria-and it seems that Saudi Arabia has seized the opportunity to try to prove its impact with Damascus.