President Ahmed Al-Sharaa received today at the People's Palace the leader Essam Al-Buwaidani , in the presence of a number of ministers and officials.
The Emirati authorities, with the efforts of Syria, released the leader after nearly a year of detention at Dubai International Airport.
After receiving him at the People's Palace, President Al-Sharaa headed to Freedom Square in the city of Douma, where the popular crowds are preparing to receive him, and President Al-Sharaa said in a brief speech: "I did not want to come to Douma except with Sheikh Abu Hammam."
In this context, the media advisor to the presidency of the republic, Ahmed Mowafaq Zeidan, said on the "X" platform on Thursday:"The efforts made by His Excellency President Ahmed al-Sharaa to release al-Buwaidani reflect the nature of calm and diligent diplomacy in following up on matters of interest to all Syrians."
Zeidan expressed his thanks to the UAE and its leaders for their positive cooperation in this file.
Behind the scenes of the diplomatic settlement
According to the information circulating , Al-Buwaidani's arrest in the UAE was related to procedures related to travel documents and previous laws in force, before official contacts succeeded in settling the case.
Sources indicate that President Al-Shara has personally followed up on the file since its inception, as the issue was raised during his meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, during his official visit to the country.
It is noteworthy that the UAE authorities arrested al-Buwaydani, known as "Abu Hammam", the former commander of the "Army of Islam", while he was leaving the UAE territory in April 2025.
With the restructuring of military formations after the fall of the old regime, Bouydani merged with the faction in the Syrian Ministry of Defense during the "Victory Conference" in January 2025, taking a leadership position in it.