Arab Gulf states are moving quickly to entrench themselves in Syria’s post-Assad future, launching a surge of diplomatic, financial and infrastructure support.
The aim is to stabilise the war-ravaged country but also reshape the regional balance of power.
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara was in the UAE this week, his second visit to Abu Dhabi since taking office in January, and the first leg of his second Gulf tour, Syria’s state media agency Sana reported. No other stops have been officially confirmed.
The talks, including with President Sheikh Mohamed, signalled a deepening ambition to steer Syria’s reconstruction and political reintegration after more than a decade of civil war.
Sheikh Mohamed underscored that Syria’s stability is vital to the broader Middle East and vowed the UAE would “spare no effort” in providing assistance.
Long seen as a pariah under Bashar Al Assad’s rule, Syria is now re-emerging in the region with surprising speed.
Mr Al Shara, a former rebel fighter once linked to extremist factions, has recast himself as a pragmatist leading a transitional government. His administration, backed by a fragile coalition that includes Islamist-leaning Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), has been eager to secure Arab support and foreign investment to jump start the economy and rebuild shattered infrastructure.
The Gulf response has been swift and substantial. In the months following Mr Al Assad’s downfall, Saudi Arabia and Qatar jointly paid off Syria’s $15.5 million debt to the World Bank, unlocking access to critical reconstruction grants. Doha has also pledged $29 million monthly to fund salaries in Syria’s public sector for a three-month period.
In May, the Syrian government signed an agreement with a consortium of companies led by Qatar's UCC Holding to double the country’s power supply.
Emirati firms have also moved early. DP World signed an $800 million agreement to develop the port of Tartus, while prominent Emirati businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor publicly urged greater investment in Syria’s recovery.
While much of the international community was cautious at first, the Gulf seized an opportunity.
“Gulf countries are intent on fostering stability in Syria, ensuring the preservation of the country’s territorial integrity and preventing the emergence of dangerous power vacuums,” Giorgio Cafiero, chief executive of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based geopolitical risk consultancy, told The National.
“In pursuit of a more secure and stable regional environment, the GCC states remain deeply concerned that violence and instability in Syria could spill over into neighbouring Jordan and Iraq, both of which border the Arabian Peninsula.”
He added that co-operation with Syria’s new leadership is also being driven by shared security concerns, particularly over the Captagon drug trade.
Syria became the epicentre of Captagon production under Mr Al Assad, with vast quantities of the amphetamine-like drug smuggled into the Gulf, especially across Saudi Arabia’s long and porous borders.
Risk and caution
Iran was a key supporter of Mr Al Assad’s regime throughout the Syrian conflict, supplying crucial military and financial backing for the former president.
Syria served as a central node in Iran’s regional strategy – the so-called Axis of Resistance – linking Tehran to the Mediterranean through Iraq and Lebanon.
While Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, have in recent years pursued diplomatic outreach to Iran, hoping to manage tension through engagement rather than confrontation, deep mistrust lingers. Iran’s backing of armed militias across the region, some of which have targeted Saudi and Emirati territory, continues to pose a major concern.
That anxiety intensified during the 12-day Israel-Iran war, when Tehran launched missiles at the US-operated Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar, triggering panic despite warnings issued to Doha.
Although Gulf countries view Syria’s reintegration as a chance to stabilise a regional flashpoint, many remain wary of legitimising a leadership with jihadist roots.
“Through early and strategic engagement with Al Shara’s government in Damascus, and by offering support during Syria’s fragile transitional period, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other GCC members are positioning themselves to exert influence" in Syria, Mr Cafiero said.
“They seek to discourage Al Shara and his inner circle from pursuing any initiatives that might seek to export the ideals or momentum of the HTS-led overthrow of Syria’s former regime to other parts of the region," he added.
Analysts also warn that if reintegration moves too quickly without parallel governing reforms, Damascus may have little incentive to pursue deeper political change.
“If the Damascus administration becomes complacent and does not push ahead with reforming governance in Syria, then sooner or later the country is almost certain to relapse into widespread violence,” said Abdulaziz Alshehhi, deputy head of the research sector at Trends Research and Advisory.
Looking ahead
When US President Donald Trump announced during a state visit to Riyadh in May that he would lift American sanctions on Syria, it provided motivation and reassurance for investors to step up their engagement.
The shift in Syria’s leadership also altered the region’s power dynamics. Had last month’s Israel-Iran war taken place in earlier years, Syria might have served as a launch pad for Iran-backed attacks on Israel. This time, it did not.
Now, as Gulf capitals invest in Syria’s physical and political reconstruction, they are also investing in a narrative: that Arab-led solutions can succeed where international efforts have stalled.
“What is most important is that Syria gets back to the Arab fold,” said Mr Alshehhi. “If this role isn’t played by Arab states, particularly by the Gulf, we risk repeating the previous scenario, where Syria turned elsewhere for support, with dangerous consequences for Syria and the region.”
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
Scores in brief:
Day 1
New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38
Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
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