Syria's new authorities will hold a national dialogue conference on Tuesday to listen to different political views, organisers said, as the group comes under western pressure to commit to a degree of pluralism after the removal of former president Bashar Al Assad.
The conference comes before an expected change in the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham government and as the EU eased sanctions on Syria on Monday. The bloc described it as a move in "support of an inclusive political transition in Syria, and its swift economic recovery, reconstruction, and stabilisation"
According to a senior Syrian official participating in the conference, which will last for one day, more than 600 people are expected to attend. Most are "not aligned with HTS ideologically or politically", he said. A committee mostly made up of HTS loyalists has issued the invitations for the conference. According to the agenda, it will focus on seeking justice for former regime victims, building institutions, rights and freedoms, and economic reform.
HTS leader Ahmad Al Shara or one of his senior aides will make brief remarks at the beginning of the conference, the source said, giving it high visibility.
A number of attendees include Raed Al Saleh, head of the White Helmets civil defence organisation, which operated in the northern governorate of Idlib when HTS ruled there before Mr Al Assad's downfall. Osama Kadi, a Syrian economist seen as close to the Muslim Brotherhood, activists Alia Mansour and Osama Abu Zeid, as well as Mazen Darwish, an Alawite civil figure who spent three years as a political prisoner, is also expected to attend.
Syrian activist Hanin Ahmad, who will attend Tuesday's meeting, said that although the conference does not comprise a “real national dialogue” that would create legitimacy for the new order, she will attend "because it is a duty, although I might not agree with the results".
Members of the Kurdish-run autonomous administration in north-east Syria and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will be absent from the talks, as will the Druze community's spiritual leader Hikmat Al Hijri, who has welcomed the removal of Mr Al Assad. Mr Al Hijri has called for an inclusive civil administration to replace the former regime, meaning that the new state must be secular.
Hassan Al Daghim, spokesman for the conference, said the organisers had been in touch with the Kurdish people through the community and not "through an organised military gatekeeper".
"Kurds are part of the Syrian state and Syrian society. We listen to them directly," he told media channel Hashtag. "And we also don’t take a quota approach – not by party or social group or sect, because honestly, we saw what that did in Lebanon and Iraq. We are our land, and we talk with each other as Syrian men and women, in all their own competences and ideas. And if we disagree, if these opinions come together, in the end, the general picture of Syrian society will be drawn.”
Many of those attending gathered on Monday evening at a reception hosted in the capital's Damascus Rose Hotel. The hall was emptier than it may have been had more than two days' notice been given for the event, which Mr Al Shara promised would be "a direct platform for discussions, to listen to different points of view" on the country's political future.
A member of the former Syrian opposition government told The National that he had not been able to take up his invitation because of time constraints.
"The conference is a gradual step towards the better, an exercise, but we do not believe that there will be great results from the conference,” the official said.
The source did not expect the conference to result in the formation of a committee charged with drafting a new constitution for Syria, but said a temporary legislative council will “perhaps be formed” to fill the current vacuum left by the dissolution of Syria’s former parliament.
Among the well-known figures who declined to attend are the veteran dissident George Sabra, and former diplomat Jihad Maqdisi, who is well-connected in Washington. Samir Nashar, a veteran political dissident, said he declined because for the conference to be effective, it has to come up with enforceable decisions, and “not just recommendations”.
Rebel groups appointed Mr Al Shara as President at the end of last month. Formerly known as Abu Mohammad Al Jolani, he fought for Al Qaeda in Iraq before eventually breaking from the group and creating HTS, which led an 11-day offensive from northern Syria that ousted Mr Al Assad on December 8.
He is facing difficulties convincing some members of the country's minorities to cede control of territory to the new central government. Among them are the Druze in the south of Syria and the SDF, who have made huge territorial gains in the course of the civil war. HTS forces are also engaged in a campaign to disarm regime remnants.
Mr Al Shara has promised a transitional government that will “build new Syrian institutions” in the lead-up to free and fair elections, without setting a deadline. He has not mentioned pluralism or democracy directly but said that Syria will be "governed by shura", a form of collective decision-making in Islam, after the Assad regime's ”tyranny”.
Many Syrians had hoped to have a national conference with a wide range of members chosen from each region and decision-making powers, similar to the 1919 Syrian National Congress that proclaimed the Hashemite monarch Faisal as King of Syria. This approach was advocated by the Kurdish human rights lawyer Radeef Mustafa, a fierce critic of the Syrian Democratic Forces, who said he was “honoured” by the invitation and that the meeting will still be an “important national occasion".
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
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INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Barbie
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MATCH INFO
Mainz 0
RB Leipzig 5 (Werner 11', 48', 75', Poulsen 23', Sabitzer 36')
Man of the Match: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Mountain%20Boy
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
