New Syria leader meets Saudi crown prince on first foreign visit

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Syria's interim president Ahmed Al Sharaa met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday during his first trip abroad since taking power.

Accompanied by his foreign minister, Asaad Al Shaibani, Sharaa was greeted by Saudi officials on arrival in Riyadh, images from state television outlet Al-Ekhbariya showed.

The official Saudi news agency SPA later reported that Sharaa was received by Prince Mohammed, but details of their discussions were not immediately disclosed.

Sharaa, whose Islamist group led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December, was named Syria's interim president on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince were among the first to congratulate him on his official appointment.

In late December, Sharaa stated in an interview with the Saudi channel Al-Arabiya that the kingdom would "certainly play an important role" in Syria's future, highlighting a "great opportunity for investment".

He told the channel he was born in Saudi Arabia, where his father worked, and that he had spent the first seven years of his life in the oil-rich Gulf state.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister visited Damascus last month and promised to help secure an end to the restrictions.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan said during his visit that Riyadh was engaged in "active dialogue with all relevant countries, whether the United States or the European Union, and we are hearing positive messages".

The new Syrian authorities have received a steady stream of diplomatic visitors since Assad was toppled.

On Thursday, Damascus received Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who "stressed the urgent need to form a government representing all spectrums" of Syrian society in order "to consolidate stability and move forward with reconstruction, development and prosperity projects".