Saudi Gazette report
DAMASCUS — Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa placed a piece of the Kiswa (cover) of the Holy Kaaba in the courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. He said that it was a gift presented to him by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

Meanwhile, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent cables to Al-Sharaa congratulating him on the occasion of his country’s Liberation Day.

During his speech at the Umayyad Mosque, commemorating the first anniversary of Syria's liberation from Bashar Al-Assad regime, Al-Sharaa referred to his visit to the Holy Kaaba during his first official foreign trip to Saudi Arabia. During the visit, the Crown Prince presented him with the gift.

Al-Sharaa said that he preferred the covering to be placed in the Umayyad Mosque, so that nations might unite and bonds of love and brotherhood might extend from Makkah to the Levant. He also chose to unveil it at the very first moments of the anniversary of the victory.

In his speech, Al-Sharaa addressed the Syrian people, saying: "O Syrians, obey me as long as I obey God in my dealings with you. By God, no one, no matter how powerful or influential, will stand in our way, and no obstacles will hinder us. We will all face all challenges together, God willing."

He prayed to God to protect his country and help him serve and rebuild it, and serve the Syrian people, pledging to make Syria strong with a structure befitting its present and past.

Syrians commemorated on Monday, Dec. 8 the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, when the opposition forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, seized control of major Syrian cities one after another, until they entered the capital, Damascus, on December 8, following the flight of former President Bashar al-Assad.