Syria's Julani makes first state trip to Saudi Arabia, meets bin Salman

Live TV footage showed Julani shaking hands with the crown prince in the Saudi capital before sitting down for talks.

 Syria's President Abu Mohammad al-Julani seen with Saudi Arabia's leader Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh, February 2, 2025 (photo credit: BANDAR ALGALOUD/SAUDI ROYAL COURT, VIA REUTERS)
Syria's President Abu Mohammad al-Julani seen with Saudi Arabia's leader Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh, February 2, 2025
(photo credit: BANDAR ALGALOUD/SAUDI ROYAL COURT, VIA REUTERS)

Syria's transitional President Abu Mohammed al-Julani met Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday in his first foreign trip as Syrian leader, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

Live TV footage showed al-Julani shaking hands with the crown prince in the Saudi capital before sitting down for talks.

The Saudi crown prince is the second Gulf leader to meet al-Julani since the latter was declared president for a transitional phase last week.

Syria's President Abu Mohammad al-Julani makes a first state visit to Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, February 2, 2025 (credit: BANDAR ALGALOUD/SAUDI ROYAL COURT, VIA REUTERS)
Syria's President Abu Mohammad al-Julani makes a first state visit to Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, February 2, 2025 (credit: BANDAR ALGALOUD/SAUDI ROYAL COURT, VIA REUTERS)

First head of state to visit Syrian capital

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met Sharaa in Damascus on Thursday, becoming the first head of state to visit the Syrian capital since Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December.

Al-Julani, an Islamist who was once an affiliate of al Qaeda, has been trying to gain support from Arab and Western leaders since Assad was toppled.

Al-Julani was accompanied on his visit by Syria's foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani.