US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the United States would lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, a dramatic policy shift that could revive the war-ravaged nation’s economy and reshape Middle East dynamics. The move came during a high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, marking the start of Trump’s first major foreign tour of his second term.Speaking at a business forum in Riyadh, Trump declared, “It’s now time for Syria to move forward with a chance at greatness.” His remarks drew a standing ovation from the audience, which included top business leaders such as Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and BlackRock’s Larry Fink. According to the New York Times, Trump said the decision followed discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the rebel forces that overthrew Bashar al-Assad last December, will meet Trump in Riyadh on Wednesday. Trump’s announcement ends over a decade of US sanctions initially imposed in response to Assad’s brutal crackdown during Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011 and killed hundreds of thousands.Trump also joked during his speech and said, “Oh what I do for the crown prince,” attributing the request to end sanctions to bin Salman. Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani called the move “a new start” for reconstruction efforts. Former US ambassador to Syria Robert Ford was quoted by the BBC as saying, “Removing the sanctions… is absolutely vital” for enabling international investment and aid to reach Syria.The US president also oversaw the signing of an unprecedented $142 billion arms agreement with Saudi Arabia, the largest such defense deal in American history, according to the White House. Additional investments from Saudi Arabia could total $1 trillion, with sectors ranging from energy and mining to AI and infrastructure. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced the sale of over 18,000 advanced AI chips to a Saudi company during the visit.Notably, Trump did not visit Israel on this trip, though he urged Saudi Arabia to consider joining the Abraham Accords. “It’s my dream,” he said, though acknowledged the kingdom would decide “in its own time.” Saudi officials have made clear that progress on Palestinian statehood and an end to the Gaza war are preconditions.Trump also addressed the Israel-Hamas conflict briefly, saying people in Gaza deserved “a better future” and blamed Hamas for choosing “to kidnap, torture and target” civilians.The president’s Gulf tour will continue with stops in Qatar and the UAE, where discussions will centre on trade, technology and regional cooperation.
