How will President Ahmed Al-Sharaa shape Syria’s future?

Once an al-Qaeda-affiliated fighter, Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa now governs a nation in flux. He claims to be focused on stability, dissolving rebel groups and rebuilding institutions. His visit to Saudi Arabia signals shifting alliances and efforts to ease sanctions. But can he truly redefine Syria’s future – and what will it mean for the region?

In this episode:

Osama bin Javaid (@osamabinjavaid), Al Jazeera English, correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and Tamara Khandaker, with Sarí el-Khalili, Hagir Saleh, Melanie Marich, Hanah Shokeir, and our host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.

With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

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