U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Riyadh on May 14, 2025. This high-profile meeting came just one day after Trump announced the removal of U.S. sanctions on Syria—an unexpected move that has stirred debate within U.S. political circles. Al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda commander who broke ties with the group in 2016, now leads Syria after toppling Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year.
The meeting took place ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, where Trump is attending as part of his four-day tour of the Gulf. His visit includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. On day one, Trump oversaw major economic deals, including $600 billion in Saudi investments in the U.S. and $142 billion in American arms sales to Riyadh.
Despite opposition from key allies like Israel, Trump defended his decision, saying Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Erdoğan encouraged him to engage diplomatically with Damascus. Both leaders are known to have strong ties with Trump.
Following the Riyadh leg of his trip, Trump will travel to Doha for talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Qatar is expected to announce fresh U.S.-focused investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Observers around the world are closely monitoring Trump’s dialogue with Al-Sharaa. The meeting signals a potential shift in U.S. policy toward Syria and raises questions about how far Washington is willing to go in redefining its alliances in the region.