Syria's New President Al-Sharaa Visits UAE, Meets Sheikh Mohammed

Post by: Elena Malik

Photo : AP

BEIRUT — Syria’s new President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday in his first official trip since taking office, just four months after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.

During his visit, al-Sharaa met with the UAE’s President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi. According to the UAE’s official news agency, WAM, Sheikh Mohammed wished the Syrian leader success in guiding Syria through the current phase and in meeting the hopes of the Syrian people for peace, development, and safety.

Both leaders had conversations about important topics they both care about and shared their thoughts on current events in the region and around the world.

UAE’s Careful Approach
When the Syrian civil war began in 2011, the UAE, like many other Arab countries, ended its ties with Assad’s government due to the violent crackdown on protests. But in 2018, the UAE became one of the first countries to reconnect with Syria by reopening its embassy in Damascus. In 2022, Assad made a rare trip to the UAE, which was his first visit to another Arab country after the war started.

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Since the change in leadership in Syria, several countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar quickly welcomed President al-Sharaa and his team. Al-Sharaa is known for his past as a former rebel commander who led the fight that removed Assad. However, the UAE has been more careful. The country has always been cautious about leaders with Islamist ties, and al-Sharaa’s background made the UAE slower to react.

Syria Rebuilding After War
Syria’s new government is now trying to reconnect with other countries in the region. After almost 14 years of war, the country faces many problems. They need to rebuild their economy and fix roads, schools, and hospitals. The government also needs to unite different armed groups under one national army.

Tension with Israel
At the same time, Syria is dealing with rising tensions with Israel. Since Assad’s fall, Israel has carried out airstrikes in Syria and even sent ground troops into a special U.N.-patrolled buffer zone, which was created under a ceasefire agreement in 1974.

Syria’s new leaders and the United Nations say that Israel is breaking the rules of that agreement and should leave the area. But Israel says it needs to stay there to keep its borders safe and has no plans to pull back.

UAE’s Possible Role in Peace Talks
Because the UAE has normal relations with both Syria and Israel, it might play an important part in helping the two sides talk and solve their problems peacefully. Only a few Arab countries have open ties with Israel, so the UAE could become a helpful middleman in reducing tensions.

This visit by President al-Sharaa shows that Syria is working to improve its relationships and gain support from other countries in the region as it faces the long road ahead to recovery and stability.

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