DOHA - US President Donald Trump met with Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and urged him to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel after a surprise U.S. announcement that it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government.
Trump then flew to Qatar, where he oversaw the signing of a deal for the Gulf Arab country to buy jets from U.S. manufacturer Boeing.
State carrier Qatar Airways signed a deal on Wednesday to purchase up to 210 widebody jets from Boeing during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf Arab country, a coup for the U.S. planemaker.
The deal for Boeing 777X and 787 planes with GE Aerospace (GE.N), opens new tab engines was worth $96 billion, according to the White House. It is a win for Trump on a high-profile visit to the region, even though it will be years before the jets are delivered.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday had tea with a former jihadist who until recently had a $10 mil-lion US bounty on his head.
Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, once known by his militant nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, met Trump in Riyadh six months after leading a swift campaign that toppled the half-a-century-old Assad regime, ejecting Iran-backed armed groups and declaring himself leader of the country.
Al Sharaa was placed on the US Specially Designated Global Terrorist list in 2013 for heading al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, known as Al Nusra Front, and allegedly orchestrating suicide bombings across Syria. The Saudi-born former jihadist had spent years fighting US forces in Iraq before moving to Syria to lead an armed Islamist rebellion that ousted the brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The meeting, described by Syria as “historic,” was the first between a US and Syrian president in 25 years, taking place during Trump Middle East tour, the first set of state visits of his second term.
Both leaders were seen smiling in photos released by the White House and the Saudi foreign ministry. The Syrian foreign ministry said Trump committed to “standing by Syria at this critical juncture.”
A day earlier, Trump announced the removal of decades-old sanctions on Syria, a move that prompted a 40-second-long applause from the audience, including a standing ovation from the Saudi Crown Prince Mo-hammed bin Salman.
