Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Monday it would take between four and five years to hold presidential elections, the first time he has laid out a timeline for the vote since he was named transitional president last week.

Sharaa, Syria’s president, spoke to The Economist on January 31st in Damascus. The conversation has been translated and lightly edited for clarity. The Economist: Maybe you could start by giving me a sense of your vision for Syria.

Syria could need up to five years to hold its first presidential elections after the ouster of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a TV interview on Monday. He estimated four to five years until the elections,

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was declared president for a transitional phase on Wednesday, tightening his hold on power less than two months after he led a campaign that toppled Bashar al-Assad.

Sharaa was already de facto head of Syria's government ever since a coalition of rebel fighters swept through most of Syria and ousted Assad's regime.

Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Tuesday on his second official trip abroad since taking power, the Turkish communications directorate announced.

By bnm Gulf bureau Syria’s recently introduced Interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, arrived in Riyadh on February 2 for his first official visit, official Syrian media reported. Al-Sharaa’s visit to Saudi Arabia holds significant regional implications.