In a significant development, U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara in Riyadh on Wednesday. This meeting comes shortly after President Trump announced the lifting of all sanctions on the Syrian government, following a request from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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Speaking in Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump confirmed that he would remove sanctions on Syria, signaling a shift in U.S. policy. The meeting with President al-Shara, who is in Riyadh for the Gulf Cooperation Council meetings, is a notable part of Trump’s four-day visit to the Gulf region.
On the first day of his visit, Trump focused on securing business deals, with highlights including a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia into the U.S. and a $142 billion agreement for the sale of U.S. weapons to the kingdom.
President al-Shara, who was in Riyadh for the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, has been a prominent figure in Syrian leadership. His meeting with Trump marks a crucial moment in the ongoing discussions about Syria’s future.
After Saudi Arabia, Trump will visit Qatar, where he is expected to meet with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and other officials. Qatar is expected to announce investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States during this visit.
Israeli officials have expressed opposition to the easing of sanctions on Syria, but Trump stated that both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had encouraged him to take this step.
The talks with al-Shara, a former Al-Qaeda commander who severed ties with the terrorist group in 2016, will be closely monitored by analysts seeking to gauge Washington’s seriousness about normalizing relations with Damascus.
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As part of his visit to Qatar, Trump will receive a Boeing 747-8 aircraft as a gift, which will be converted into the U.S. presidential plane, Air Force One. This aircraft will be one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the U.S. government, and it will eventually be donated to Trump’s presidential library.
Although the exact details of Qatar’s investments remain unclear, sources suggest that Qatar Airways is expected to announce a deal for approximately 100 large jet aircraft from Boeing.
Following his visit to Qatar, Trump will travel to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to meet with UAE leaders before returning to Washington. However, Trump has also hinted at the possibility of visiting Turkey for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This diplomatic tour signals a shift in U.S. foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, as Trump navigates complex relationships with key regional players.
