The Syrian presidency announced that Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country's interim president, was invited Sunday to attend an Arab League summit to be hosted by Egypt in Cairo.
"The president of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Ahmed al-Sharaa, received an official invitation from the president of the Arab Republic of Egypt to participate in the extraordinary Arab League summit" on March 4, the statement read.
The summit was called in response to a widely criticized plan by U.S. President Donald Trump, who proposed that the United States take control of the war-torn Gaza Strip and redevelop it into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
Trump's plan suggests relocating the Palestinian population to other regions, including Egypt and Jordan.
The proposal sparked outrage among Arab governments and global leaders, with the United Nations warning against potential "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza.
Al-Sharaa condemned Trump’s plan, calling it "a huge crime that cannot happen."
Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 following the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests under dictator Bashar Assad, which led to a devastating civil war. Damascus was readmitted to the bloc in 2023.
In late 2024, al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led a coalition that toppled Assad in a swift offensive, and Sharaa was named interim president.
Egypt had supported Assad until his fall, even as al-Sharaa's group advanced toward Damascus. Since Assad's ouster, Egypt has cautiously engaged with Syria.
The upcoming Cairo summit will mark the first time al-Sharaa represents Syria in the Arab League.
