U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off a high-profile visit to the Gulf region on Wednesday with a controversial move to lift all U.S. sanctions on Syria's Islamist-led government. The announcement came during a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Trump also met with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa—a former Al Qaeda commander who renounced his ties in 2016 and led the rebellion that ousted Bashar al-Assad last December.
The meeting, confirmed by a Washington Post pool report, has drawn criticism from U.S. allies like Israel, as well as concerns from within the administration. Trump said he was encouraged by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to pursue a thaw in relations with Damascus.
Trump's four-day Gulf tour began with significant fanfare and economic deals, including a $600 billion Saudi investment pledge to the U.S. and a $142 billion U.S. arms agreement. The president will next travel to Doha, Qatar, for a state visit with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Qatar is expected to announce additional U.S. investments, including a massive order of Boeing widebody jets by Qatar Airways.
A separate controversy surrounds Qatar’s expected gift of a Boeing 747-8 aircraft, to be converted into a future Air Force One and later donated to Trump’s presidential library. The move has sparked bipartisan backlash over ethical concerns.
Trump is also scheduled to visit Abu Dhabi on Thursday and may alter his return plans to Washington for a potential summit in Turkey involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
This visit underscores Trump’s focus on reshaping U.S. foreign policy through high-stakes diplomacy, arms sales, and energy-rich alliances in the Middle East.