US President Donald Trump launched an ambitious four-day visit to the Middle East on May 13. While on his visit to Riyadh, he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a series of other landmark agreements. The deals included over a whopping $142 billion on US arms sales. Since then, the White House has touted this deal as the largest of its kind in history.
Memoranda of understanding were exchanged at a high-level Belt and Road summit in the Saudi capital. This 2017 event was the one and only time the controversial Trump stood before members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). On the second day of President Trump’s visit, leaders met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to reaffirm U.S.-Gulf partnership. They emphasized the value of meaningful investments in this collaboration.
Not that the arms deal won’t greatly improve Saudi Arabia’s defenses. In fact it will help to increase the military readiness of its allies in a very dangerous region. Through this agreement, the Biden Administration seeks to deepen security cooperation and advance US security assistance to its partners in the Gulf region. The scale of the investment is a testament to the political will that both countries are willing to invest in their bilateral relations.
President Trump just lifted all remaining sanctions on Syria this past Tuesday. This decision, coupled with agreement to provide arms, caused jubilation across Damascus. This decision represents a monumental change in US policy towards the war-torn nation. Most importantly, it unequivocally describes Trump’s goal to diplomatically engage with the Syrian government.
Reports indicate that Trump is anticipated to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the summit, marking a potential thaw in relations between the US and Syria. Lifting the sanctions would remove major obstacles to providing humanitarian aid in Syria. It would strengthen rebuilding initiatives in a nation that has suffered through decades of war and destruction.
Trump’s Middle East visit includes stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), further underscoring the administration’s commitment to strengthening partnerships throughout the region. The very large military and economic agreements recently signed with Saudi Arabia are central to this larger strategy. Their goal is to build greater regional stability and security.
Trump is flying home from his latest glorious, grand, historic, amazing diplomatic mission. The deals and policy changes he oversaw will largely redefine international relations, in particular in the Middle East—potentially for decades to come.
