Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received red carpet treatment on his second official visit to Abu Dhabi on March 19, a week after he had visited Oman, showing that his isolation on the Arab stage may come to an end. Though the process began with humanitarian aid after the devastating February earthquakes that struck the northwest region, the Assad case is but a symptom of much deeper change in the Middle East.
The Western agenda, which gave the resilient Syrian leader pariah status because of accusations of genocide against his own people, is being put on the back burner with the major power reshuffle in the region, brought about by the disalignment of traditional Western allies, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
