Many Syrians celebrated the removal of the authoritarian Assad regime and remain cautiously optimistic about the future. Getty Images
Many Syrians celebrated the removal of the authoritarian Assad regime and remain cautiously optimistic about the future. Getty Images
Many Syrians celebrated the removal of the authoritarian Assad regime and remain cautiously optimistic about the future. Getty Images
Many Syrians celebrated the removal of the authoritarian Assad regime and remain cautiously optimistic about the future. Getty Images

Six months after fall of Assad, Syrians are cautiously optimistic about future under Al Shara


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Six months after the downfall of Bashar Al Assad, Syria’s new leader Ahmad Al Shara has established himself on the global stage and is pushing ahead with efforts to rebuild a fractured nation.

After 13 years of civil war, Mr Al Shara led a rebel assault against the Assad regime and within 12 days ousted the president on December 8, without much of a fight. The leader of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a former Al Qaeda affiliate, Mr Al Shara now serves as Syria's President and is at the head of a transitional government.

A cabinet was formed in March and includes ministers from Syria’s diverse groups, with the aim of fostering national reconciliation. Members of the new government have participated in major international conferences and Mr Al Shara has been in the global spotlight for the past six months. Last week, he concluded his ninth international trip – and fourth to the Gulf – with a state visit to Kuwait.

Much of the change in the country has been seen as positive, prompting a first wave of Syrians to return from neighbouring countries. “When the regime finally fell, I took the first flight to Beirut, and from there I returned to Syria,” said Amr Alhamad, a Syrian lawyer who has launched a media consultancy project in his homeland.

“Yes, we won. It was magnificent. Entering Damascus felt like I could finally breathe again."

Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara at the National Dialogue Conference on February 25 in Damascus. Getty Images
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara at the National Dialogue Conference on February 25 in Damascus. Getty Images

Domestic challenges

While many celebrated the removal of the authoritarian Assad regime, Syrians remain cautiously optimistic about the future given Mr Al Shara’s “strong past”, as US President Donald Trump described it, recent outbreaks of sectarian violence and Israeli interference.

Mr Al Assad is an Alawite and, since his downfall, the minority community has come under repeated attack. Many of its members regard the ascendancy of HTS as a threat to the existence of the community, which held power in Syria from 1963 until the Assad regime was toppled. Mr Al Shara has appointed a committee to investigate the bloodshed in the Alawites' coastal heartland, but he has blamed members of the former regime for the violence.

One Alawite in the Kurdish region of Iraq, who requested anonymity over fear of reprisals, said he was waiting for the situation to improve and did not yet feel it was safe to return to Syria. “We don’t trust them and we are waiting for things to be better,” he said of the new government.

He initially left Syria to avoid forced military conscription under the Assad regime and, while he was not politically active, he was still worried about becoming a target as an Alawite.

Tensions also surged after a manipulated recording falsely claimed a Druze cleric had insulted Islam. The fake recording triggered sectarian violence, with militants attacking Druze towns near Damascus.

Israel then launched air strikes near the Syrian presidential palace in the capital, which it said was a warning to the authorities not to harm the Druze minority. The strikes were another reminder of the challenges ahead for Syria, with regard to minorities, as well as Israeli interference.

Damaged Syrian army tanks and other heavy weapons in Yarmouk, after Israeli artillery fire hit the area on June 4, 2025. Getty Images
Damaged Syrian army tanks and other heavy weapons in Yarmouk, after Israeli artillery fire hit the area on June 4, 2025. Getty Images

Over the past six months, Israel has pushed further into southern Syria and has waged a campaign of aerial bombardment.

While the new Syrian authorities have enjoyed warmer ties with the West, Israel remains suspicious. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani said Israeli strikes on Syria this week, launched after rockets were fired towards Israel, were aimed at destabilising the country.

The Israeli attack took place after Mr Al Shara said last month that his government was holding indirect talks with Israel to bring an end to its strikes on Syria.

Conflict is also continuing in Kurdish-majority areas of north-eastern Syria, where Turkish forces and proxies allied to Ankara clash with the Syrian Democratic Forces. Although a deal was signed by Mr Al Shara and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi on March 10 to integrate the SDF into Syria’s state institutions, there is still work to do to reconcile with the Kurds.

Ilham Ahmed, co-chairman of foreign affairs for the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, told The National in April that there were “red lines” when it came to the country's constitution and Kurdish representation.

“Decentralisation is a key demand,” she said at the time, although Mr Al Shara has rejected the prospect of federalism.

Uniting the myriad armed factions in Syria is crucial for Mr Al Shara’s consolidation of power and for stability in the country. Syria's transitional authorities have so far recruited half of a planned 200,000-man army, a military official told The National.

The move to integrate thousands of foreign fighters into the military is a step in the right direction but many risks persist, said Mona Yacoubian, senior adviser and director of the Middle East Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

"He faces extremist threats from within as well as from ISIS, which recently claimed an attack in Suweida and continues to pose a real threat elsewhere," she said.

Dareen Khalifa, a Syria expert at the International Crisis Group, said that the primary focus for Mr Al Shara was to get the security and economic front into a national centralised government.

Authorities know that "in order to focus on the economic recovery process, they need to build enough political momentum and goodwill regionally and internationally," said Ms Khalifa.

In the coming months, Mr Al Shara will “continue to prioritise security, working to bring more rebels and armed groups under the umbrella of the central military and government,” she added.

Sanctions relief after historic Trump talks

In a landmark diplomatic engagement in the post-Assad era, Mr Al Shara met Mr Trump in Riyadh, marking the first direct contact between the US and Syria's new leadership since Mr Al Assad was toppled. The meeting, facilitated by Saudi officials, underscored a significant shift in Washington's policy towards Syria, with Mr Trump having announced a move to ease long-standing sanctions.

Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. SPA
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. SPA

The Treasury Department later issued a general licence that authorises transactions involving Mr Al Shara's government, as well as the central bank and state-owned enterprises.

The sanctions relief is contingent on Syria's commitment to several conditions – telling all foreign militants to leave, deporting what Mr Trump called Palestinian terrorists and helping the US prevent the resurgence of ISIS, the White House said.

Similarly, the EU has moved to lift sanctions on Syria, with the exception of those based on security matters.

"The US decision to suspend sanctions - although temporary - provided a boost to Al Shara's efforts, paving the way for the Europeans to follow suit. Syria is now beginning to see some resources flow in," said Ms Yacoubian.

The prospect of a sanctions-free Syria is expected to open the door for Gulf sovereign wealth funds and businesses to explore new opportunities. After Mr Trump’s announcement, the UAE’s DP World signed an $800 million agreement to develop and operate the port of Tartus. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have jointly pledged public salary support for Damascus.

"Ahmad Al Shara's administration has focused on securing regional and international legitimacy as a means to gain sanctions relief, viewing diplomatic normalisation as essential to reviving Syria’s devastated economy," said Sanam Vakhil, director of the Middle East Programme at the London-based Chatham House.

"By re-engaging with Arab states and appealing to global powers, the regime seeks to attract investment, aid and reconstruction support to build greater internal support and stability."

Despite these developments, the international community remains cautious. Olof Skoog , deputy secretary general for political affairs at the European External Action Service, told The National that the bloc believes Syria’s leaders are committed to reform, but sanctions "can be reimposed – this is not a one-way street".

“This doesn't mean that we now leave everything to go its own way. On the contrary, it gives us a platform for dialogue with the Syrian leadership, and a basis for holding them accountable,” he noted.

But for some Syrians, the effect of these changes has not yet been felt. “Economically, nothing has changed. People are still tired, salaries are low, there’s no money in the country, and there’s no electricity,” said a doctor in Damascus.

Mr Alhamad hopes that in six months, "we’ll begin to see change."

"Not just economic reform," he said, "but also progress towards the rule of law."

Nada Maucourant Atallah and Nada Homsi contributed reporting from Beirut

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.

The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?

My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.

The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.

So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.

 

 

MATCH INFO

Day 1 at Mount Maunganui

England 241-4

Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28

New Zealand 

Yet to bat

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')

Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UK%20record%20temperature
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THE SPECS

Engine: 3.6-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 285bhp

Torque: 353Nm

Price: TBA

On sale: Q2, 2020

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

The chef's advice

Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.

“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”

Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.

The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.

Meghan%20podcast
%3Cp%3EMeghan%20Markle%2C%20the%20wife%20of%20Prince%20Harry%2C%20launched%20her%20long-awaited%20podcast%20Tuesday%2C%20with%20tennis%20megastar%20Serena%20Williams%20as%20the%20first%20guest.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Duchess%20of%20Sussex%20said%20the%2012-part%20series%2C%20called%20%22Archetypes%2C%22%20--%20a%20play%20on%20the%20name%20of%20the%20couple's%20oldest%20child%2C%20Archie%20--%20would%20explore%20the%20female%20experience.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELast%20year%20the%20couple%20told%20Oprah%20Winfrey%20that%20life%20inside%20%22The%20Firm%22%20had%20been%20miserable%2C%20and%20that%20they%20had%20experienced%20racism.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20don't%20ever%20remember%20personally%20feeling%20the%20negative%20connotation%20behind%20the%20word%20ambitious%2C%20until%20I%20started%20dating%20my%20now-husband%2C%22%20she%20told%20the%20tennis%20champion.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com

Types of policy

Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.

Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.

Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.

Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

How to vote in the UAE

1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/

2) Take it to the US Embassy

3) Deadline is October 15

4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll

England 12-man squad for second Test

v West Indies which starts Thursday: Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (captain), Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jack Leach

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

BlacKkKlansman

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver 

Five stars

Updated: June 09, 2025, 5:18 AM