Syria leader in Riyadh for first foreign visit

RIYADH, Feb 02 (AFP): Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for his first international visit since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, state media reported.

Accompanied by his foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Sharaa was greeted by Saudi officials as he disembarked, images from state television outlet Al-Ekhbariya showed.

The broadcaster said Sharaa was expected to meet with de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but did not specify when.

Syrian state news agency SANA also reported the pair would meet with Prince Mohammed in Riyadh, without providing further details.

The Syrian presidency had earlier posted a picture on X of Sharaa and Shaibani aboard what appeared to be a private jet on their way to Saudi Arabia, calling it a "first official visit".

Sharaa, whose Islamist group led the overthrow of Assad in December, was named interim president on Wednesday.

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

The Syrian authorities are counting on wealthy Gulf countries to finance the reconstruction of their war-ravaged nation and revive its economy.

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".