- US President Donald Trump, in comments made during a visit to Saudi Arabia, says he will remove sanctions on Syria.
- Trump has received a royal welcome after arriving in the kingdom, his first stop of a three-day regional tour.
- The White House says the two countries inked a $142bn defence sales agreement as part of a $600bn Saudi investment commitment.
- “We like each other a lot,” Trump says during talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- The two leaders have also met a long list of major US business executives who are also in Riyadh for a Saudi-US investment forum.
- After Saudi Arabia, Trump is due to visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump says US will drop sanctions on Syria
The US president announces that he will remove the longstanding US sanctions against Syria, imposed during former President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
“There’s a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilising the country and keeping peace,” he said.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump said, with MBS and the rest of the room rising to their feet to applaud the decision.
US president addresses Russia-Ukraine war
Trump continues by saying he wants to “stop” the war in Ukraine.
He also says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Istanbul for talks between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday.
The US president also thanked Saudi Arabia for its role in facilitating talks between Ukraine and Russia.
‘Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,’ Trump says
Trump says he wants to make a deal with Iran, with which his administration is engaged in nuclear negotiations.
He continues, however, by issuing a threat saying that if the Iranian leadership rejects this “olive branch and continues to attack its neighbours”, then the US will respond by “massive maximum pressure” and drive Iranian oil exports “to zero”.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he tells the crowd. “The choice is theirs to make,” he adds.
“This is an offer that will not last forever, the time is right now for them to choose.”
Iran insists its programme is for civilian purposes and it has no intention to pursue a nuclear weapon.
Trump expresses openness to improving relations with Iran, Syria
Trump hinted that he would not be restricted by previous periods of hostility when seeking new partnerships in the region, even as he called Iran an agent of “chaos” that has brought “unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, and beyond”.
“But I am here today not merely to condemn the past choices of Iran’s leaders, but to offer them a new and a better path toward a much more hopeful future,” he said, adding that he was “willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world”.
After signaling in recent days that the US may lift sanctions on Syria originally meant to isolate the government of deposed President Bashar al-Assad, Trump noted that the world “must hope” that the country’s new authorities “will succeed in stabilising the country and keeping peace”.
Trump says he hopes Saudi Arabia normalises ties with Israel
The US president says he hopes that Saudi Arabia will join the so-called Abraham Accords, the series of normalsation that his administration negotiated between Israel and some Arab countries during his first term.
“It’s my fervent hope, wish and even my dream that Saudi Arabia … will soon be joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump tells the forum.
“I think it will be a tremendous tribute to your country and it will be something that is really going to be very important for the future of the Middle East.”
Palestinian officials have slammed the normalisation as “another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause”.
Trump says Saudi Arabia is ‘forging a future’ based on commerce, investment
The US president says that the region is on the road to prosperity because of “a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts and tired divisions of the past, and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos”.
The statement comes as the region continues to be roiled by Israel’s destruction of Gaza, which has been carried out with billions of dollars worth of US weapons transfers. But Trump has laid out a vision of a Middle East where commercial agreements between governments take precedent over thorny political questions.
“After so many decades of conflict, finally it is within our grasp to reach the future that generations before us could only dream about – a land of peace, safety, harmony, opportunity, innovation, and achievement right here in the Middle East,” he said.
More from US president
Trump continues his praise of MBS, telling his he’s done an incredible job.
The US president also expresses his admiration of Riyadh, saying the Saudi capital is “becoming a capital of the world”.
US president defends administration’s record
Trump continues his speech by focusing on domestic issues.
He says the US Congress is “in good shape” to pass his tax bill.
He also defends his administration’s record on the economy and immigration.
Trump says ‘no one’ like ‘incredible’ MBS
The US president begins his speech by saying it’s a “tremendous honour” to be in Saudi Arabia, praising the kingdom as “a great place” and its population as “great people”.
Trump calls MBS “an incredible man”.
“There is no one like him,” he tells the crowd, adding that the relationship between the two countries is “more powerful” than ever before.
Trump to speak
The US president has now taken to the stage of the Saudi-US Investment Forum as Lee Greenwood’s song God Bless the USA blares from the speakers of the conference centre.
Everyone in attendance is standing up.
We’ll bring you his lines shortly.
Crown Prince Salman celebrates Saudi as key ‘strategic partner’ of the US
Taking to the stage, the Saudi leader says that this agreement represents the latest development in a partnership that reaches back several decades, calling the US the “main destination” of the Kingdom’s investment fund.
“We are here today to deepen this strategic partnership at its different levels with an economy that is built on hydrocarbons but also diversifying the economy, and building a knowledge-based economy,” he said.
“This partnership has always been one of our main pillars and Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest and most strategic partners of the United States, and is also an important member of the G20.”
More from Saudi-US Investment Forum
Trump and MBS have just taken a commemorative photo with US and Saudi business leaders at the investment forum.
The Saudi crown prince is due to take the stage shortly.
US president arrives at investment conference
Trump has arrived at the conference centre hosting the Saudi-US Investment Forum.
The US president is being shown around by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and other Saudi officials.
Saudi Arabia wants to see US reciprocate big investments
Saudi Arabia wants to see US reciprocate big investments
Saudi Arabia knows that as a leading oil exporter bringing in vast amounts of money, it has leverage and can further invest in the US market. That is something Trump has been looking for.
But at the same time, the kingdom wants to diversify its own economy away from reliance on oil. For this, it is also looking forward to the US investing in the Saudi market.
This explains why Saudi officials are pushing for more cooperation, particularly in security and defence. Ultimately, they want to see the US side committed for the long run.
So it’s not necessarily just Saudi Arabia pouring its cash into the US market. It would like to see the US reciprocate. This is quite crucial for the kingdom.
Trump’s AI tsar says ‘no risk’ of sharing AI technology with Saudi Arabia
David Sacks has defended the US president’s move to open up AI technology exports to allies, as several Gulf firms reportedly pursue deals with US counterparts.
Speaking at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, the White House’s AI and crypto tsar said a Biden-era regulation, which the Trump administration has announced plans to roll back, “restricted the diffusion or proliferation of American technology all over the world”.
“[Diffusion] is not a risk with a friend like Saudi Arabia at all,” said Sacks, a close friend of Musk.
Gaza an issue to watch as Trump’s Gulf tour continues
Gaza an issue to watch as Trump’s Gulf tour continues
I think Trump will be pretty pleased by what has been achieved so far. The deals signed would all had been agreed in advance. Now he may very well be catching up on information from other players.
In addition to Syria, Gaza is the other issue to watch.
There’s some talk that the US has new plans for Gaza, and we certainly know that the Gulf states have their own plans there. Will we see any movement on that? And if so, will it be something that worries Netanyahu?
I think it is interesting who Trump is listening to here. In his cabinet, he’s got people who have traditionally been very strong supporters of Israel, notably his Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
But I think on this issue, he’s listening to his instincts and to Steve Witkoff, his real estate friend, who is leading the negotiations. We seem to get the view that Witkoff is getting unhappy with the continuance of the war in Gaza.
Will that feed into President Trump, and will we see any important developments in the coming hours?
White House touts $142bn in Saudi defence sales
The White House has released additional details on some of the US-Saudi agreements signed by Trump and Prince Mohammed, describing them as “historic and transformative”.
The deals include nearly $142bn in defence sales – what the White House called the largest ever agreement of its kind – as well as tens of billions in energy and technology investments, which it said are “just a few of the many transformative deals” reached.
Altogether, the agreements are part of a broader package the White House said will total $600bn.
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed with the main developments of the past few hours:
- US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) have taken part in an agreement-signing ceremony in Riyadh.
- The two countries have agreed to expand cooperation in a number of sectors, including energy, mining and defence.
- Earlier, Trump and MBS spent about an hour greeting Saudi and US officials as well as a number of business leaders, including top executives from Google, Nvidia, Amazon, OpenAI, Tesla and Boeing.
- In brief comments, Trump praised MBS and their two countries’ business relations.
Photos: Business leaders attend Saudi-US Investment Forum
Saudi Arabia using US president’s visit to boost regional status
Trump’s visit is a unique opportunity for Saudi Arabia to position itself as a key regional player.
The country is a leading oil exporter that has a huge influence over both the global supply and price of oil. This is very crucial for the Trump administration, which wants to see lower oil prices.
However, Saudi Arabia is saying that, as a key regional player, it wants to have a bigger say on regional issues. It sees itself as potentially becoming the number one player in this region, particularly as Iran’s clout has eroded over the past few months, including with the ouster of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and the takeover by new authorities there that Saudi Arabia is building strong ties with.
That is why Saudi officials are pushing for geopolitical agreements during Trump’s visit and inviting GCC leaders to join tomorrow. They want to send a clear message that from now onwards, if you want to solve a problem in this part of the world, the address is Riyadh.
Trump leaves after signing deal
The US president has just departed the Royal Court after the conclusion of the signing ceremony.
He was accompanied to his vehicle by MBS.
‘Long list’ of agreements shows ‘depth’ of US-Saudi relationship
The extent of the many agreements reached between the US and Saudi Arabia “speaks to the depth” of their relationship, says Abdulaziz Alghashian, director of research at the Riyadh-based Observer Research Foundation Middle East.
“Saudi Arabia still sees the US as their main security partner and trading partner,” Alghashian told Al Jazeera.
“It won’t come at the cost of relations with others, but there’s still a great deal of keenness to develop relations with the US and that’s what we can see from the long list [of agreements] the Saudi Royal Court has just explained and highlighted.”
Photos: Trump and MBS take part in deal-signing ceremony
US-Gulf minerals deals being hammered out during Trump’s trip: Report
The Washington Post is reporting on several US-Gulf business deals taking shape during Trump’s regional tour.
One is a $9bn partnership between US companies and Saudi firms to “mine and process critical minerals used in advanced manufacturing, energy and defense” for export to the US, the CEO of one of the US firms involved, Burkhan World Investments, told the newspaper.
Another anticipated deal involves the UAE’s artificial intelligence powerhouse G42 and Saudi firm Humain, which will gain access to US-produced AI chips, according to sources quoted by the Post.
Several major US AI figures are in Riyadh during Trump’s visit, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Saudi-US agreements cover energy, defence, space cooperation
Saudi officials have listed a number of memorandums of understanding reached between the US and Saudi Arabia.
They cover energy, defence, mining and mineral resources, judicial and law enforcement cooperation, and space monitoring.
In addition, the two countries inked letters of intent to boost joint cooperation on national guard training, support and upgrades as well as modernising and developing the capabilities of the Saudi armed forces.
Trump, MBS sign documents
President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed just participated in a document-signing ceremony.
Saudi state media described it as a strategic economic partnership agreement.
Footage showed the two leaders shaking hands after the signing to applause from their delegations.
We’ll bring you more on this shortly.
Trump, MBS still meeting about trade, military partnership
Talks are still under way between Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump. They are mainly focusing on finalising large trade and arms deals which will be announced later today.
They are hoping to get closer to a major security pact, something Saudi Arabia tried to achieve with the Biden administration.
There is also talk about arms and artificial intelligence – which Saudi Arabia is becoming one of the biggest global investors in – as well as about politics in the Middle East, including the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Syria and many other issues.
This event is perceived by Saudi Arabia as a turning point, a vindication of its ever-growing geopolitical clout in this part of the world.
‘Flashy Gulf deals aside, Trump remains a committed Israel supporter’
Although Israel may be sidelined on this trip, that doesn’t mean it won’t continue to have a central role in US policy, Belen Fernandez argues in her latest opinion piece for Al Jazeera.
“Just last month, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – source of the idea that there is ‘no reason for a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza’ – was hosted by Republican officials at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida,” she wrote.
“After a dinner held in his honour, Ben-Gvir boasted that Republicans had ‘expressed support for my very clear position on how to act in Gaza and that the food and aid depots should be bombed’,” Fernandez added.
“Flashy trillion-dollar Gulf deals aside, rest assured that the Trump administration remains as committed as ever to capitalising on Israeli atrocities.”
Read more of this opinion piece here.
Clear that Trump, MBS ‘can do business together’
I think the words the Saudis will like to hear from the US president are, “We like each other a lot,” because that’s how Donald Trump does business.
It’s all about personal relations, transactional business, but all based on getting to know the person and liking the person.
It’s clear, I think, from the body language we’ve seen – not just now but also in the past – that the Saudi crown prince and the US president get on. They are people who can do business together.
‘We like each other a lot,’ Trump tells MBS
We have the first public comments made by Trump speaking alongside Crown Prince Mohammed in Riyadh.
Speaking moments ago, the US president argued “the biggest business leaders in the world” were in the Saudi capital.
“They are going to walk away with a lot of cheques, or a lot of things that you are going to provide,” he told MBS, referencing a figure of “probably two million jobs” in the US, without giving details.
“Number one, I like visiting with you and we’ve known each other very well, and I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump also told MBS.
“Number two,” Trump continued, the US had gotten “tremendous” investment and jobs “and we’ll continue to service your great country very well”.
Egypt ‘closely following’ Trump’s Gulf tour
Although Egypt is not on the itinerary of Trump’s Middle East tour, it is “closely following” the visit and “stands to gain” from its focus on promoting regional stability and security, former Egyptian diplomat Hussein Haridy says.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Haridy said officials in Cairo are watching two key aspects of the trip: its potential impact on regional stability and how it may reshape US-Gulf relations.
“We are looking forward to positive results,” he said, adding that Trump appears to be “redrawing the geostrategic map of the Middle East”.
He added: “The fact that Cairo is not one of Trump’s first stops “does not diminish the role of Egypt as a regional power nor the strong partnership between Egypt and the US.”
‘Gulf governments stronger friends to Trump than Israel’s’
A week ago, Trump announced the US abandoning its daily bombing campaign of Yemen, saying the Houthis had agreed to stop attacking ships on the Red Sea
The Trump administration did not notify Israel, which the Houthis continue to target, of the agreement before Trump’s public announcement – the latest example of Trump leaving Israeli officials in the dark about his administration’s negotiations with common adversaries.
“Israel will defend itself by itself,” Netanyahu said last week following Trump’s announcement. “If others join us – our American friends – all the better.”
William Wechsler, senior director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council, said Trump’s decision to skip Israel on his first Middle East visit is remarkable.
“The main message coming out of this, at least as the itinerary stands today, is that the governments of the Gulf … are in fact stronger friends to President Trump than the current government of Israel at this moment,” Wechsler told AP.
Trump returning to ‘very different Riyadh’
This is a very different Riyadh than it was when Donald Trump came in 2017. Huge investments and partnerships have taken place, including from the US. This is what the crown prince has been looking for and wants to see continuing in the coming years.
Another notable thing is that none of the American women in a meeting that took place here wore head coverings. Back in 2017, reporters were required to wear head coverings while doing their work.
So there are more freedoms, more openness this time. This is significant because this feeling of cooperation and openness is translating to business arrangements in the multi-billions of dollars.
Photos: Smiles and handshakes at the palace
World’s diplomacy currently taking place in the Middle East
Iran is on the agenda because everyone will discuss it, and I think the countries in the region, certainly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, will encourage Trump in his efforts.
There have been four rounds of Iran-US negotiations – three in Muscat and one in Rome but all brokered by Oman. I think this is showing that the diplomacy in the world is all taking place in this region at the moment.
Remember also that Saudi Arabia is where the early meeting between Ukraine and Russia took place in March. And we’re having this idea teased that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, would like to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey’s Istanbul.
They’ve even put out a date of Thursday, and Trump has suggested making a possible detour on his Gulf trip to join the talks – unlikely to happen, but with Donald Trump, never say never.
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed with the main developments of recent hours:
- Air Force One landed at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, shortly before 10am (07:00 GMT).
- US President Donald Trump was greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the sounds of a 21-gun salute and trumpets.
- The two leaders then headed to the Royal Court, where a lengthy procession of dignitaries, officials and business figures waited their turn to shake hands with them.
- The Saudi-US Investment Forum has also begun with the two leaders expected to take part later today.
- Saudi Arabia is the first leg of Trump’s tour of the Gulf, where he will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
From right, Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump meet with officials
Trump facing ‘tremendous criticism’ over Gulf business ventures
Many in the US argue Trump is using this trip for his own gain.
It is no secret that Trump sees this area, in particular, in the eyes of a real estate developer – as a big open area that is ripe for development. It is a developer’s dream.
In all three of the stops he’ll be making, he has personal investments. He has properties and his sons have cryptocurrency and real estate ventures. Just weeks ago, Trump’s sons were in these very nations advocating for these very ventures.
The White House insists Trump is doing this for the US people, that’s it’s not for personal gain, but it is really hard to argue there will not also be personal gain. That has opened him up to tremendous criticism from the opposition Democrats.
Gulf leaders likely to drive home message that ‘Arab world does not take Gaza lightly’
Trump’s trip to the Gulf is likely to show him that “the Arab world does not take Gaza lightly” and push him to explore alternative ways to end the 19-month war, says Sultan Barakat, senior professor in public policy at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Working with Arab states on Gaza could not only help end the bloodshed, but bring “massive economic benefits” that appeal to Trump, according to Barakat.
If Trump wants to be a peacemaker, he says, “this is one of the issues he’s got to tackle.
“He cannot continue talking about being the dealmaker, the peacemaker in the world with the blood in Gaza continuing to spill.”