Photo source : https://x.com/WhiteHouse
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — May 13, 2025
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia to a grand welcome, marking the beginning of his first official international tour since returning to office. His arrival, featuring purple carpets and elaborate ceremony, underscored the strategic and symbolic importance of the Kingdom — the same country he visited on his first foreign trip during his previous term.
The visit included a summit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. Trump and the Crown Prince co-chaired the Saudi-U.S. Summit, emphasizing bilateral cooperation on defense, energy, space, public health, and economic modernization. Multiple agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed, highlighting the deepening of U.S.-Saudi ties.
Photo source : https://x.com/WhiteHouse
A Grand Arrival in Riyadh
Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia to much fanfare, echoing his first overseas trip as president in 2017. He was greeted with a lavish reception, including a purple-carpeted welcome at the royal palace, where he held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman beneath portraits of past Saudi monarchs.
The visit has drawn scrutiny due to Trump’s extensive business ties to the kingdom, with his sons, Don Jr. and Eric, as well as his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, having secured billions in deals with Saudi entities in recent years.
Strengthening U.S.-Saudi Ties
During the summit, Trump and the Crown Prince oversaw the signing of multiple agreements, including defense modernization, energy cooperation, and space exploration initiatives. Notably, the two leaders inked a Strategic Economic Partnership, reinforcing long-term collaboration between the nations.
In a speech at an investment forum, Trump praised Middle Eastern leadership while taking veiled swipes at past U.S. foreign policy: “The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by so-called ‘nation-builders’ or ‘neo-cons’… Instead, the birth of a modern Middle East has been brought about by the people of the region themselves. He also signaled a shift in U.S. policy toward Syria, announcing plans to lift sanctions following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, stating it would “give them a chance at greatness.”
Photo source : https://x.com/WhiteHouse
Syria Emerges as Key Talking Point
In a surprise development, Trump met with Syria’s newly installed interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of the summit. This marks the first direct engagement between a U.S. president and a post-Assad Syrian leader since the civil war began over a decade ago.
According to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the historic meeting included Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (via phone), and the foreign ministers of all three nations. Discussions focused on lifting U.S. sanctions against Syria and fostering cooperation in post-conflict reconstruction and counterterrorism.
“President Trump affirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Syria during this pivotal transition,” the statement read. “President Ahmad al-Sharaa expressed gratitude for international backing, underscoring Syria’s confident progress toward a peaceful and stable future.”
The talks also outlined plans for future counterterrorism collaboration, particularly against remnants of ISIS and destabilizing non-state actors across the region. A follow-up meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Syria’s foreign minister has been scheduled.
Photo source : https://x.com/WhiteHouse
Trump’s Speech: A Vision for a “New Middle East”
At a regional investment forum in Riyadh, Trump delivered a sweeping address praising the region’s leadership and expressing optimism for a post-conflict Middle East.
“Exactly eight years ago this month, I stood in this very room and spoke of a Middle East free from terrorism. Today, I see a region building its own greatness — not from Western intervention, but from your own sovereign vision,” Trump said. He pointed to progress in places like Riyadh and Abu Dhabi as evidence of a new era led by the region itself.
He criticized past U.S. foreign policy as misguided, arguing that “nation-builders” did more harm than good. Trump reiterated his preference for “peace and partnership” over military interventions and offered support to countries such as Lebanon and Syria in rebuilding their economies and security sectors.
Historic Meeting with Syria’s New Leader
On the sidelines of the summit, Trump held a groundbreaking meeting with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa—a former al-Qaeda-linked militant who now leads the war-torn nation. The discussion, joined virtually by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, focused on post-war reconstruction and counterterrorism efforts.
A joint statement issued by Syria’s Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to lift sanctions and stabilize the country, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman calling it “essential for regional stability.” Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for Syria’s transitional government, while al-Sharaa expressed gratitude for international backing.
The Rise of Ahmad al-Sharaa
Al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, rose to prominence as the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a coalition of rebel factions that toppled Assad’s regime in late 2024. Once a key figure in al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, he has since rebranded himself as a pragmatic leader, distancing from transnational jihadism and focusing on governance.
His forces, backed by Turkish-supported rebels, launched a decisive offensive in November 2024, culminating in Assad’s flight to Russia and the establishment of an interim government.
A New Chapter for Syria?
The meeting signals a potential thaw in Syria’s international isolation, with Saudi Arabia and the U.S. pushing for reconstruction aid. However, al-Sharaa’s controversial past and ongoing security challenges—including remnants of ISIS and factional infighting—pose significant hurdles.
As Trump’s tour continues, the engagement underscores his administration’s prioritization of regional partnerships over ideological scrutiny, with a focus on “stability, prosperity, and peace”—a stark departure from traditional U.S. foreign policy paradigms.
“The Nation-Builders Wrecked More Than They Built”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a scathing rebuke of decades of American interventionism during a landmark Middle East trip that included a historic meeting with Syria’s new interim leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa. The encounter underscored Trump’s “America First” approach to regional diplomacy, prioritizing strategic partnerships over ideological confrontation.
In a fiery address at the Riyadh Investment Forum, Trump contrasted his administration’s policies with what he called “the arrogant delusions of Washington’s interventionist class”:
“This great transformation [in the Middle East] has not come from Western interventionists… giving you lectures on how to live or how to govern your own affairs. No, the gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called ‘nation-builders,’ ‘neo-cons,’ or ‘liberal non-profits,’ like those who spent trillions failing to develop Kabul and Baghdad.”
He reserved particular scorn for U.S. efforts to remake societies by force:
“In the end, the so-called ‘nation-builders’ wrecked far more nations than they built — and the interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand.”
The speech framed his subsequent engagement with Syria’s controversial new leadership as a pragmatic alternative to what he termed “the old playbook of regime change and endless war.”
Photo source : https://x.com/WhiteHouse
