Trump Secures $600 Billion Investment Pledge from Saudi Arabia, Announces End to Syria Sanctions
RIYADH — U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a major economic and defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, securing a $600 billion investment pledge during his visit to the Gulf region. The announcement came alongside a commitment by the U.S. to lift decades-old sanctions on Syria, marking a significant shift in American foreign policy.
During a press briefing in Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump confirmed that Saudi Arabia will invest $20 billion in the U.S. artificial intelligence and technology sector. In addition, both nations signed a defense agreement worth $142 billion, which the White House described as the largest defense cooperation deal in U.S. history.
“This is a transformative partnership that benefits both our nations,” Trump said. “We’re building not only economic bridges, but also a new chapter of regional stability.”
The lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria is expected to have wide-reaching implications for the war-torn country. Syria has endured more than a decade of civil war, but the political landscape shifted last December when rebel forces led by now-interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump said the decision to lift sanctions followed a personal request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “The sanctions served a purpose,” Trump noted. “But now is the time for Syria to rebuild and move forward.”
Syria was first labeled a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. in 1979, with sanctions intensified in 2004 and again after the outbreak of civil war in 2011.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani welcomed the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “a new beginning” for Syria’s reconstruction efforts.
The White House also confirmed that President Trump will briefly meet President al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss further steps toward normalization and economic recovery.
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