Syria’s interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa made his first official trip abroad Sunday, to Saudi Arabia in an effort to add a perceived wedge of distance between Damascus and longstanding ally, Iran. Al-Sharaa had al-Qaida links and was accompanied by his foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani. In a photograph released by Syria’s state-run news agency, Syria’s two officials are seen aboard a jet, reportedly Saudi Arabia’s, with the Saudi Arabia’s flag visible behind them.
Saudi state television said the significance of al-Sharaa deciding that Riyadh should be his first foreign destination. The visit would signal a new geographical alignment in the position taken by Syria in the area, as Saudi Arabia has long played a funding role in the support of anti-government groups trying to topple the administration of former President Bashar al-Assad. After the 2011 Arab Spring protests in Syria, turned into a long, tragic, and bloody war, Assad retains power with military help from Russia and Iran; Saudi-backed groups are hampered in trying to make lasting gains.
But in December, power dynamics shifted dramatically with a fast and shocking counter-offensive by al-Sharaa’s faction’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ). HTS has been formerly affiliated with al-Qaida, which it now distances itself from, rebranding itself as a more moderate force. Sharaa has in fact engaged himself in crafting his public image, taking on an olive green military look, reminiscent to some extent of the public image of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His administration also has sought to look more inclusive, naming women to high posts and talking to Syria’s Christian and Shiite Alawite communities.
The visit may portend an emerging alliance between Damascus and Riyadh which could alter Syria’s diplomatic and regional strategy. The extent of this shift, nonetheless, is still to be seen.
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