After losing his arms in an ordnance explosion, Syrian teenager Mohammed Hasram was fitted with prosthetic limbs funded by Saudi Arabia, which is leveraging major investments and aid to gain influence over Damascus.

Since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in December, Saudi Arabia has showered the new leadership with millions of dollars in assistance and investment pledges in the hope of steering it further into the kingdom's sphere of influence, analysts told AFP.

Syria was a battleground for outside powers throughout the conflict, with Iran and Russia backing Assad, and Turkey and the United States supporting various armed groups.

As the Assad allies withdraw and Syria seeks to rebuild, Saudi Arabia is leveraging its oil wealth to expand its influence.

Its main goals are "ke

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