Syria’s President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, on Monday concluded his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The Syrian President was seen off at King Khalid International Airport by the Governor of Riyadh Region, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, and other Saudi officials.
Al-Sharaa arrived in Riyadh on Sunday, accompanied by his Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, and other Syrian officials. Saudi Arabia was the first foreign destination for the Syrian President since he assumed power.
During his visit, Al-Sharaa met with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, and discussed ways to support Syria and its stability.
Meeting the Crown Prince
On Sunday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Al-Sharaa and his accompanying delegation at al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. At the reception, the Saudi Crown Prince congratulated Al-Sharaa on assuming Syria’s presidency, wishing him success in meeting the aspirations of the Syrian people.
On his part, Syria’s President expressed his gratitude to the Saudi Crown Prince for his wishes and for Saudi Arabia’s supportive positions towards Syria and its people, SPA reported.
During their meeting, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Al-Sharaa discussed the latest developments in Syria and explored ways to support the country’s security and stability. They also tackled the recent regional developments and efforts made to address them.
Moreover, both sides discussed relations between Riyadh and Damascus, exploring ways to further strengthen them across various fields.
Exploring Saudi Arabia’s AI Innovations
After meeting the Crown Prince, the Syrian President and his accompanying delegation visited the headquarters of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in Riyadh, according to SPA.
Several Saudi senior officials received Al-Sharaa at SDAIA, led by the Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Advisor, Musaed Al-Aiban; Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Al-Swaha; SDAIA President, Abdullah Al-Ghamdi; National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) Governor, Majed Al-Mazyad; and Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (ZATCA) Governor, Suhail Abanmi.
SDAIA Tour
Al-Sharaa toured SDAIA’s technical facilities affiliated with data and artificial intelligence (AI). During the tour, SDAIA President, Al-Ghamdi, briefed the Syrian President on Saudi Arabia’s efforts in the field of data and AI, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and with the unwavering support of the Saudi Crown Prince. Vision 2030 aims to build a data-driven national economy and position the Kingdom as a global hub for AI technologies.
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Furthermore, Al-Ghamdi showcased Saudi Arabia’s efforts to harness data and AI technologies across various sectors to support government entities, including enhancing service accessibility for citizens, residents, and Hajj and Umrah pilgrims through applications such as Tawakkalna.
Moreover, the visit featured presentations from digital economy entities, NCA and ZATCA, highlighting their work.
Expressing Gratitude
Following his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, Al-Sharaa extended his sincere gratitude for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the warm reception and hospitality, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.
“We held a long meeting, in which I had sensed and heard a genuine desire to support Syria in building its future, and keenness to support the will of the Syrian people and the unity and integrity of its territories,” Syria’s President said.
Discussing Future Cooperation
Al-Sharaa also highlighted the topics he discussed with the Saudi Crown Prince. “We held extensive discussions and talks in all fields, and worked to raise the level of communication and cooperation in the humanitarian and economic fields,” SANA quoted the Syrian President.
He added that they discussed future plans for cooperation in many fields. “We discussed comprehensive plans for the future in the fields of energy, technology, education and health, with the aim of achieving a real partnership that will contribute to preserving peace and stability in the region and improving the economic reality in Syria, in addition to continuing political and diplomatic cooperation to boost Syria’s role towards Arab and international positions and issues,” Al-Sharaa said.
