Ahmed al-Sharaa’s high-stakes bid to remake Syria
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 748 Ratings
🗓️ 26 September 2025
⏱️ 21 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For the first time in nearly 60 years, a Syrian leader speaks at the UN. It was a symbolic moment for a nation long-isolated from the international stage. President Ahmed al-Sharaa says he can rebuild Syria through private investment and a deal with Israel. But how much can he concede in the name of progress, without losing Syrian public support?
In this episode:
- Ali Harb (@Harbpeace), Al Jazeera senior producer
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, Sari El-Khalili and Chloe K. Li, with Marcos Bartolomé, Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Alexandra Locke.
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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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, Syria addresses a meeting of world leaders for the first time in nearly 60 years. |
| 0:17.0 | Syria today is rebuilding itself through establishing a new state, building institutions and |
| 0:24.1 | laws that guarantee the rights of all without exception. |
| 0:29.2 | How Ahmed al-Shara, an al-Qaeda leader turned president, is reconnecting Syria with the world. |
| 0:36.2 | I'm Natasha D'Oro, and this is the take. |
| 0:47.0 | Hi, before we continue with today's show, |
| 0:49.6 | if you're watching us on YouTube or Spotify, |
| 0:52.2 | please leave us a comment and let us know what you think about |
| 0:54.4 | the episode. And what do you think about Al-Shara's remarkable transformation? Leave us a comment |
| 1:00.5 | and I'll be reading through. My name's Ali Harab. I am a journalist with Al-Syara English, |
| 1:09.1 | based normally in Washington, D.C., but I'm currently in New York to govern the UN General Assembly. |
| 1:13.6 | Right. Well, Ali, you are a regular guest here on the take. We always love having you on. So welcome back to the take. |
| 1:21.9 | Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara addressed the UN General Assembly in New York this week, and you're there now, right? |
| 1:29.3 | Maybe you could tell us what was the significance of this moment and what was it like to be there? |
| 1:36.3 | The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. |
| 1:40.3 | This is the first time a Syrian president has spoken at the UN General Assembly in more than 50 years. |
| 1:48.4 | This is the first time that there's a UN General Assembly in more than 50 years, |
| 1:53.3 | and a Syrian president does not have the last name of Al-Assad. |
| 1:57.3 | This is the first time where there is a UN General Assembly and Syria is sort of trying to |
| 2:03.3 | reintegrate itself into the international community, into the community of nations, and this |
| 2:09.9 | is the first UN General Assembly after the fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad |
... |
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