Syria's new leader arrives in Qatar amid push for regional support
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Ahmad Al-Sharaa was received at Hamad International Airport by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, as reported by the Qatar News Agency.
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Syrian Interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is greeted by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani upon the former's arrival in Qatar (@syrianmofaex)
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa landed in Doha on Tuesday for his first official visit to Qatar since taking office, according to state media reports. His trip marks a pivotal moment in Syria's shifting regional diplomacy following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad.
Upon arrival at Hamad International Airport, Sharaa was welcomed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, as reported by the official Qatar News Agency. Syria's foreign minister, who accompanied Sharaa, posted on X describing the visit as the president's "first presidential visit to the country that has stood by Syrians from day one and has never abandoned them."
وصول فخامة رئيس الجمهورية السيد أحمد الشرع ووزير الخارجية السيد أسعد الشيباني دولة قطر، واستقبالهم من قبل سمو الشيخ تميم بن حمد آل ثاني أمير دولة #قطر الشقيقة pic.twitter.com/7sXD7qChUY
— وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين السورية (@syrianmofaex) April 15, 2025
This visit comes shortly after Sharaa and his foreign minister met with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the UAE. The Emirati leader expressed his government's backing for Syria's reconstruction efforts.
Qatar, which played a leading role in funding and arming insurgents during the 2011 crisis, never resumed official relations with the Syrian Arab Republic under former President Assad, unlike other Arab countries that have acknowledged the failure of the Western-imposed regime change agenda and sought reconciliation.
On Tuesday, President Joseph Aoun departed Beirut for Doha, his office confirmed, for a two-day visit that includes bilateral and expanded talks with Qatari leadership. The trip follows a meeting between Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Sharaa in Damascus aimed at restoring strained ties between the two nations.
Read more: Lebanese PM visits Syria to mend ties, address key bilateral issues
In a symbolic gesture of regional rapprochement, Sheikh Tamim became the first head of state to visit Damascus since Assad's fall, making the trip in January. That same month, Qatar announced an agreement to supply Syria with 200 megawatts of electricity, with plans to expand output gradually.
With reconstruction needs mounting, Syrian officials are actively seeking support from Gulf nations. Qatar, already a key donor to the Lebanese army, also pledged aid in February to help rebuild following the recent war on Lebanon.
