Egypt’s al-Sisi meets Syria’s al-Sharaa in Cairo for first time

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, for the first time on the sidelines of the summit held to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction in Cairo on Tuesday.

Al-Sharaa, who was once an affiliate of al-Qaeda, has been trying to gain support from Arab and Western leaders since he led an opposition offensive that toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Al-Sisi has cracked down on extremists in the most populous Arab state, which has wide influence in the Middle East and is a close ally of the United States.

Cairo has been cautious in its response to the new rulers in Syria, who state-affiliated media have criticized.

The Syrian state news agency said Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani also attended the meeting, but did not give further details on the agenda.