Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has made his first diplomatic trip abroad, traveling to Saudi Arabia in a move signaling a shift away from Iran as its main regional ally. Al-Sharaa, once aligned with al-Qaeda, traveled to Riyadh alongside his foreign minister. The trip is seen as an attempt to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia, which had previously supported insurgent groups trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad. Al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group has carefully managed its public image and is trying to maintain ties with Syria's Christian and Shiite Alawite populations. The visit comes as Saudi Arabia actively engages in dialogue to lift sanctions on Syria.