U.S. President Donald Trump was set to meet Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday following a surprise announcement that the United States would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government despite lingering concerns about its leaders’ former ties to Al Qaeda.
Despite concerns within sectors of his administration, Trump said on Tuesday during a speech in Riyadh he would lift sanctions on Syria. The U.S. president has agreed to say hello to interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who will be in Riyadh for meetings with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Trump’s first day of a four-day swing through the Gulf region was marked by lavish ceremony and business deals, including a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the U.S. and $142 billion in U.S. arms sales to the kingdom.
Later on Wednesday, Trump will fly to Qatari capital Doha, where he will participate in a state visit 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 U.S.
U.S. ally Israel has opposed sanctions relief for Syria, but Trump on Tuesday said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who are both close to the U.S. president, encouraged him to make the move.
