Trump praises $ 142 billion weapons on Saudi visit, lift sanctions on Syria

US President Donald Trump has said that the US has “no stronger partner” than Saudi Arabia during his first major foreign journey -a whirlwind visit of Gulf countries that were mainly aimed at strengthening investments.

Day one of the journey saw the two parties announce a weapon agreement of $ 142 billion (£ 107 billion), as well as a series of other investments that, according to Saudi -Arabia, could ultimately be worth $ 1.

Trump also made Saudi -Arabia the first foreign stop during his first term, in 2017. The rest of his golf tour includes stops in Qatar and the VAE.

Speaking for almost an hour in Riyadh, Trump also announced that the US would lift sanctions against Syria to give the country “a chance of quantity”.

In his comments on a US-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump praised the relationship between the US Saudi as “more powerful than ever before” and he praised his domestic agenda, especially because it relates to the economy and foreign investments.

“From the moment we started, we have seen wealth that has been poured – and flows – in America,” he said.

The visit comes while Trump continues to try to be foreign investors to the US to stimulate the US economy, an important focus of his administration in the nearly four months of his second term.

“I like him too much,” Trump said about the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and de-Facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. “That’s why we give so much.”

Trump emphasizes his dedication to make the hand and was accompanied by billionaire ally Elon Musk and other business leaders during a lush lunch.

During his speech, Trump announced that he lifted sanctions on Syria to “give them a chance of greatness” and said that it was his “dream” to have Saudi Arabia closed at the Abraham agreements, a deal that was mediated in his first government to first see the relationships between Israel and some Gulf countries.

With regard to other regional issues – Trump only briefly discussed the continuous conflict between Israel and Hamas. He told those present that people in Gaza earned a “better future” who had stopped by Hamas to “choose” to kidnap, torture and target “for” political ends ” – a reference to the attack of 7 October on Israel.

The friendly tone of the visit is in stark contrast to the often tense relationship between the Saudis and Biden, which in 2023 called on the US to “re -assess” his relationship with the Kingdom.

As a candidate who successfully campaigned against Trump in 2020, Biden also had sworn Saudi Arabia to make a “paria” in response to killing Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist established in the US in 2018 in Istanbul.

In 2021 he also stopped sending our attacking weapons to the Saudis, although they were resumed last year.

At the time, Biden also said that there was “very little redeeming value” in the Saudi government – although he visited the Kingdom during a state visit the following year.

From Saudi Aarabia, Trump goes to both Qatar and the VAE, who has already promised to invest $ 1.4 in the US for the next decade.