Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, made his first foreign visit since assuming office, landing in Saudi Arabia. The move signals a potential shift in Syria's alliances away from Iran towards Saudi Arabia. Sharaa, once aligned with al-Qaeda and leading the group formerly known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has been working to reshape his public image, appointing women to roles and reaching out to various sectors of Syrian society.

The trip to Riyadh comes after Saudi Arabia, a past supporter of insurgent groups opposing Bashar al-Assad, saw a change in the Syrian conflict dynamics following Sharaa's lightning offensive last December. This offensive led to the fall of Assad's regime, with Sharaa now at the helm of Syria's interim government. Sharaa's efforts to distance himself from Iran and Russia, while engaging with countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, aim to pave the way for the lifting of sanctions on Syria and the country's reconstruction post-civil war.