Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai received Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa in Dubai on Tuesday, with the visit framed around the Arab Media Summit and carrying the weight of a broader diplomatic reset between the two countries.
“During my reception of my brother, President Ahmed Al Sharaa, guest of the Arab Media Summit in Dubai, I reaffirmed that our relations with Syria are based on the bonds of affection, friendship, brotherhood and mutual respect,” Sheikh Mohammed said. The Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE added that he was optimistic about Syria “regaining the global standing it deserves” and looked forward to “deep fraternal relations between our two friendly peoples.”
Al Sharaa, speaking at a keynote session at the summit, thanked his host directly. “I thank Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid for the generous hospitality,” he said, describing it as an honour to attend. He also recalled Sheikh Mohammed’s earlier public remarks about Syrians in positive terms.
The Syrian president used his address to lay out his reading of where Syria now stands. The country, he said, had transformed “from a major problem into a great opportunity.” He pointed to improving stability as a factor allowing Syria to re-establish itself as a trade and logistics corridor in the region, and said new investment was beginning to flow in as the country works to recover from years of conflict and sanctions.
The summit appearance marks one of Al Sharaa’s more prominent regional engagements since taking office, and the language from both sides suggests the UAE is positioning itself as an early partner in Syria’s reconstruction push.
