Kuwait, Syria discuss bilateral ties as al-Sharaa makes first visit since Assad's fall

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Kuwait on Sunday to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation across political and economic sectors.

According to the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the two leaders held a formal session of talks in which they reviewed "the latest developments in Syria and the importance of bolstering international efforts to ensure the country’s security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity".

Discussions also addressed key regional and international issues and ways to support joint Arab action.

Al-Sharaa’s visit is his first to Kuwait since taking office in January 2025, following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. The visit reflects growing Arab engagement with Syria after years of estrangement prompted by the Arab League’s suspension of Syria’s membership and widespread condemnation of the Assad regime's actions during the civil war.

The Syrian president's diplomatic outreach forms part of a broader campaign to restore Syria’s regional and international standing. Kuwait is the seventh Arab nation he has visited since assuming the presidency. He has also travelled to Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as to France and Bahrain.

The Syrian state news agency SANA described the visit as part of efforts to “enhance fraternal relations and bilateral coordination between Syria and Kuwait.” According to SANA, talks focused on "ways to expand joint cooperation in various political and economic fields in a manner that serves the interests of the two brotherly peoples and strengthens Arab cooperation".

The high-level meeting in Kuwait comes six months after Assad's downfall on 8 December 2024.

Sharaa, a former diplomat and senior opposition figure, came to power during a transitional period that followed Assad’s ouster. His presidency has focused on stabilising Syria domestically and re-engaging internationally, particularly with Arab states that had previously severed ties with Damascus.

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said that the kingdom and Qatar will offer joint financial support to state employees in Syria during a visit to Damascus.