Soon after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, new President of Syria Ahmad al-Shar visited Saudi Arabia as part of his maiden foreign visit. Asad Hassan al-Shibani, Foreign Minister of Syria, accompanied him during this visit. Syria is now focused on its reconstruction efforts, a prime priority that new President Ahmad al-Shar focused on shortly after assuming power as the country emerged from years of internal conflict. The President sought assistance from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations for the nation's recovery. Ahmad al-Shar's visit to Saudi Arabia comes after a change in the political situation in the region, where Syria's relations with the West are changing. He was warmly welcomed by the Saudi government at the Riyadh airport, and he had a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two countries have a long history of relationship, despite the tensions that developed during Bashar al-Assad's rule, especially between Syria and Saudi Arabia.
As well, it hosted the Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhan, and Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and said the visitors agreed on full commitment to reconstructing Syria.
While Syria had preserved close relations with Iran during Assad's rule, the new administration appears to have been moving further away from Tehran, a turn of policy emerging from the extended internal conflict as well as Iranian involvement in the region's military operations. All these changes-the shift in political landscape as represented by other world players-stand for the alteration of Syria's foreign policy goals.
Iran's influence in the region declined owing to its involvement in regional conflicts, such as the support of armed groups in Syria. The processes in Israel's military position, political situation within the United States, and the changes in the circumstances of the region have also explained the decline in Iranian influence in Syria.