RIYADH — Donald Trump touched down in Saudi Arabia this week to a royal welcome and left with a $142 billion arms deal, a pledge to lift decade-old sanctions on Syria, and a bold message: American business is back.
“This is a new chapter,” Trump told a hall of Saudi investors in Riyadh. “We’ve never had a stronger partner than Saudi Arabia.”
On the first stop of his second-term overseas tour, the former president doubled down on old alliances and new ambitions. He was greeted on the tarmac by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a flourish of Arabian horses, and even wore a lavender tie to match the kingdom’s ceremonial carpet—replacing the traditional red in honour of desert wildflowers.
But behind the pomp was policy.
Trump’s administration announced a suite of defence and investment agreements with Saudi Arabia, including a headline $142bn arms sale. The crown prince hinted the broader investment package could eventually reach $1 trillion.
Alongside the arms deal, Trump dropped a bombshell: he will lift all remaining US sanctions on Syria. “It’s time to give Syria a chance at greatness,” he said, crediting the crown prince with encouraging the decision.
The move marks a striking reversal of longstanding American policy. Sanctions were first imposed over a decade ago, targeting the regime of Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s brutal civil war. Assad was ousted in December, and a transitional government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa has since taken over.
Trump is expected to meet President al-Sharaa on Wednesday, in what could mark a turning point for US-Syria relations.
Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad Shibani, called it a “new start” for the war-torn country. Former US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, agreed. “I visited Syria three months ago,” Ford told news sources. “The country is devastated. Reconstruction can’t happen without foreign investment and that can’t happen with sanctions in place.”
Critics warn that lifting sanctions too soon could backfire, with human rights concerns still looming. But Trump dismissed such caution, describing the new Syrian leadership as “ready to rebuild.”
The Saudi visit was also packed with high-powered business meetings. Trump was joined by Elon Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, BlackRock’s Larry Fink and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The message was clear: the Trump White House wants Gulf investment and tech partnerships in America.
Nvidia’s Huang revealed that his company will sell over 18,000 AI chips to Saudi firm Humain, reflecting the kingdom’s ambitions to become a global tech hub.
Trump used the visit to highlight his push for peace in the region, hinting at hopes for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords—normalising relations with Israel. But Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has insisted there will be no such deal until a resolution is reached in Gaza.
“There’s a limit to what this friendship can deliver,” one senior Saudi official told the media, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
Trump, for his part, kept his comments on Gaza brief. “People in Gaza deserve a better future,” he said, placing blame on Hamas for fuelling the conflict.
The former president’s return to the Gulf contrasts sharply with Joe Biden’s 2022 visit, which was noticeably cooler. Then, the American leader was seeking help lowering oil prices and faced criticism over his prior condemnation of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
This time, the focus is squarely on business.
Trump’s whirlwind tour will next take him to Qatar and the UAE, both already pledging large investments into the US economy. The UAE has promised to funnel $1.4 trillion into American ventures over the next decade.
As Trump put it, “From the moment we started, we’ve seen wealth that has poured and is pouring into America.”
But behind the bravado lies a clear strategy: rebuilding old ties, reviving US influence, and staking a claim in the post-oil future of the Middle East.
Whether those promises hold, or falter under political and regional pressure, remains to be seen.
