Sharaa, Syria’s president, spoke to The Economist on January 31st in Damascus. The conversation has been translated and lightly edited for clarity. The Economist: Maybe you could start by giving me a sense of your vision for Syria.

Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Monday it would take between four and five years to hold presidential elections, the first time he has laid out a timeline for the vote since he was named transitional president last week.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed Ahmed Al-Sharaa on assumption of office as President of the Syrian Arab Republic during the transitional phase. In a post on social media platform X, he expressed hope that the new leadership will be able to bring peace, progress and prosperity to the brotherly people of Syria.

He had spent the day with the leaders of Syria’s myriad armed factions, trying to persuade them to disband. Over seven weeks after the fall of Damascus, the fate of these groups is still uncertain. His aides claim that all militias will be dissolved and then absorbed into a new national army.

Syria could need up to five years to hold its first presidential elections after the ouster of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a TV interview on Monday. He estimated four to five years until the elections,

Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, was declared Syria's head of state for a transitional phase and empowered to form a new legislative council, state media

In his first televised speech after being appointed Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday outlined a roadmap for the country’s future following the fall of the Assad regime. His plans include the formation of two committees – one to select a smaller parliament and another to prepare for a national dialogue conference,

Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Tuesday on his second official trip abroad since taking power, the Turkish communications directorate announced.

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.