Julani was born in Saudi Arabia, later lived in Damascus, and joined al-Qaeda before becoming the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria.

Syria’s interim president has made his first trip abroad, traveling to Saudi Arabia in a move likely trying to signal Damascus’ shift away from Iran as its main regional ally.

By bnm Gulf bureau Syria’s recently introduced Interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, arrived in Riyadh on February 2 for his first official visit, official Syrian media reported. Al-Sharaa’s visit to Saudi Arabia holds significant regional implications.