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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday for a historic visit and is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Nov. 10, according to the official SANA news agency.
Sharaa traveled to Washington following his participation in the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil on Nov. 6, marking the first visit by a Syrian president to the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.
Sharaa, a former extremist leader whose forces ousted longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, met Trump for the first time in May during the U.S. president’s regional tour in Riyadh.
His visit is widely seen as symbolic of Syria’s transformation and Washington’s recognition of the country's new leadership.
The U.S. State Department on Friday removed Sharaa from its sanctions blacklist, citing Damascus’ recent progress on issues ranging from eliminating chemical weapons to cooperation in recovering missing Americans.
“These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than 50 years of repression under the Assad regime,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
He added that the delisting was intended to promote “regional security and stability as well as an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process.”
Sharaa’s visit to Washington comes on the heels of his September appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, his first time on U.S. soil and the first time a Syrian leader addressed the UN body in decades.
The U.N. Security Council, led by the United States, also voted Thursday to lift international sanctions on Sharaa.
Sharaa is expected to seek international support to rebuild Syria after more than a decade of civil war. The World Bank in October estimated the reconstruction cost at $216 billion.
After arriving in Washington, Sharaa posted a video on social media showing him playing basketball with CENTCOM commander Gen. Brad Cooper and Kevin Lambert, along with the caption: “Work hard, play harder.”
On Sunday, Sharaa met with representatives of Syrian organizations in Washington, where he emphasized “the spirit of cooperation” between Syrians abroad and those in the homeland.
“The sanctions are in their final stages, and we must continue working toward their removal,” he told attendees, calling it “a rare opportunity” for national recovery. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also joined the meeting, according to the state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV.
Sharaa assumed power in January following Assad’s ouster in late 2024. Assad fled to Russia in December after nearly 25 years in power, ending the decades-long rule of the Baath Party.
The new transitional government has since pledged to restore security, foster national unity, and expand cooperation with regional and global partners.
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