Is the World Warming up to Syrian Leader Bashar al-Assad?

Syrian President Assad's invitation to COP 28 in UAE signals his return despite his brutal civil war and its consequences.

[{"selector":"#anim-d5adf448-e0c5-4f8e-9fea-4a821e452953","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3d1703c0-f8b8-4255-adef-c76a5507ea4d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b0425d6-06ca-4fd9-ad6b-e26b4de2b66c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-1.7835238592370266%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Assad's attendance at Arab League summit in Jeddah marks his comeback after being shunned since Syria's suspension in 2011.

[{"selector":"#anim-86825a0c-836a-43c3-ae6e-a009d69f8430 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-68d31087-e61e-4cf5-8e04-32416f1d2656","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d08562d3-e8a5-4ca4-88a6-366ef9b0fb3c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

SANA showcased Assad's political win, publishing images of him reading UAE's invitation, highlighting an inclusive approach at COP 28.

[{"selector":"#anim-29bc07de-94ba-4fa5-8980-33e0b27b4371 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(1.158132376127939%, 0.20292236605174976%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7be11209-aa4e-4099-b0a7-385672bf4917","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8434e91f-cc2f-40a5-b9c0-5107c5d0f629","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

UAE engages Syria for political and regional reasons, considering the impact of climate change and water scarcity in MENA.

[{"selector":"#anim-863fbb56-851e-418e-9316-f31707b91d2b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2ccc692-e5b1-4228-ae95-7b378de00d9a","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d323d226-3d0a-4414-ad98-714f24958965","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Experts link drought-induced collapse of Syria's agricultural economy and mass migration to urban centers to the 2011 Arab Spring rebellion.

[{"selector":"#anim-1a68b37e-61da-45a4-b9f2-b03cb4b13e23 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d7e01a6e-d9fa-471e-b226-3977d47a1cc6","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cff8cd0a-e109-4a9e-9244-e5d84cbac733","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Assad's violent response to peaceful protests sparked a protracted civil war in Syria since March 2011, persisting till now.

[{"selector":"#anim-ceedabe6-d781-43c6-915f-3789a32b2d93 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-0.3860441253759805%, -4.465706163992064%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-db7d2cb5-4aee-4438-a011-9d5cadb3910b","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14e02d85-c7f7-49d6-95dd-ca3181848d3c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Water scarcity fuels conflicts between refugee host countries and locals, especially in Jordan and Lebanon, worsened by political crises.

[{"selector":"#anim-be8d4e95-1e0f-4838-b7bd-d739ae229109 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b3d53ba0-e60b-4d7a-86c3-72d60be7a4c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-53802787-618e-4add-a61a-22ed2a904950","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Gulf countries, benefiting from high oil prices, can withstand climate change impacts and invest in desalination projects for water security.

[{"selector":"#anim-660d5755-b08b-4040-ab1b-6e43add53829 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac7666cc-dcd6-4175-9b98-4828b826f6b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac2fe517-d12e-4ab4-9abd-ced7e5b6a3e7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

CLICK HERE TO READ

[{"selector":"#anim-4fcd3f1a-8c72-4c46-8bfd-58fafe6d9341","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]