U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, following a surprising decision to lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government, despite ongoing concerns about the country’s leaders’ previous connections to Al Qaeda.
Despite some opposition within his administration, Trump announced on Tuesday in Riyadh that the U.S. would ease sanctions on Syria. The president is expected to briefly meet with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who will be in Riyadh for talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Trump’s first day of a four-day visit to the Gulf region included extravagant ceremonies and significant business agreements, such as Saudi Arabia’s $600 billion pledge to invest in the U.S. and a $142 billion arms deal with the U.S.
Later on Wednesday, Trump will fly to Doha, Qatar, for a state visit with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and other Qatari officials. Qatar, a crucial U.S. ally, is anticipated to announce major investments in the U.S.
While Israel, a key ally, has opposed the lifting of sanctions on Syria, Trump explained on Tuesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, both close to him, had urged him to move forward with the decision.
The meeting with Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda leader who led rebel forces that ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, will draw significant attention. Sharaa renounced ties to Al Qaeda in 2016, and observers will be watching closely to see if this signals a shift in U.S. policy toward Syria.
Trump’s visit to Qatar follows the White House’s announcement that Qatar would gift the U.S. a Boeing 747-8 aircraft, to be adapted for use as Air Force One. This luxurious gift, one of the most valuable ever given to the U.S. government, will eventually be donated to Trump’s presidential library, though it has raised concerns, especially among Democrats, who worry it could be seen as a potential conflict of interest.
While the full details of Qatar’s investments remain unclear, sources suggest that Qatar Airways will announce a deal to purchase around 100 widebody jets from Boeing.
After his time in Qatar, Trump will head to Abu Dhabi on Thursday to meet with the UAE leadership. He is expected to return to Washington on Friday but has left open the possibility of visiting Turkey for talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
