US President Donald Trump has praised the Gulf countries for creating “a stable, peaceful and prosperous Middle East”, as he joined the Gulf leaders for the summit of the United States and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Trump said he urged Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa to normalise ties with Israel during his meeting on the sidelines of the GCC-US summit. This came a day after the US president announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, prompting jubilation in Damascus.
Trump received a lavish welcome in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the first day of his trip. The two countries signed a $142bn defence sales agreement as part of a Saudi Arabian commitment to invest $600bn in the United States.
Trump’s four-day visit to the Gulf region continues on Wednesday with a trip to Qatar before he travels to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
