President Trump to meet Syrian president in Saudi Arabia before heading to Qatar
US President Donald Trump will meet the Syrian president in Saudi Arabia on May 14, after a surprise announcement earlier that the US would lift all sanctions on Syria’s Islamist-led government, despite lingering concerns about its leaders’ past links to Al Qaeda.
Despite concerns in some parts of his administration, Trump said in a speech in Riyadh on May 13 that he would lift sanctions on Syria. The US president agreed to “greet” Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who will be in Riyadh for meetings with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Mr. Trump will meet with Mr. Sharaa ahead of the summit, according to a summary of the news from The Washington Post.
The first day of Mr Trump’s four-day tour through the Gulf region was marked by lavish ceremonies and business deals, including a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the US and $142 billion in US arms sales to the kingdom.
Later on May 14, Mr. Trump will fly to the Qatari capital Doha, where he will pay a state visit, meeting with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and other officials. Qatar, a key U.S. ally, is expected to announce hundreds of billions of dollars in investments in the United States.
US ally Israel has opposed lifting sanctions on Syria, but Mr Trump said on May 13 that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, both close to the US president, had encouraged him to make the move.
Former Al Qaeda commander
His interactions with Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda commander who led the rebels who toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, will be closely watched as observers gauge how serious Washington is about resetting ties with Damascus.
Mr Sharaa broke off ties with al Qaeda in 2016.
Mr Trump's visit to Doha follows the White House's announcement this week that it plans to receive a Boeing 747-8, which will be fitted out to serve as Air Force One, as a gift from Qatar.
The luxury jet, one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the US government, will eventually be donated to Mr Trump’s presidential library, sparking outrage from Democrats and security concerns from both parties.
While the exact details of the investments Qatar plans to announce on May 14 are unclear, Qatar Airways is expected to announce a deal to buy about 100 wide-body aircraft from Boeing, according to a source familiar with the matter.
After his visit to Qatar, Mr. Trump will fly to Abu Dhabi to meet with UAE leaders on May 15. He is then scheduled to fly back to Washington on May 16, but he said he may instead fly to Turkey for a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
