Trump’s Middle East trip: President to speak at Saudi investment forum after crown prince meeting

President Donald Trump is expected to informally greet Syria President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday, a White House official confirmed — a significant moment for US-Syria relations.

The White House is characterizing their meeting, first reported by Axios, as a “hello.”

“The President agreed to say hello to Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow,” the official said.

It would mark their first engagement. The Assad regime fell during the Biden administration in December, and the new administration in Syria is hopeful that Trump will consider lifting punishing sanctions on the country.

The White House announced on Tuesday that President Trump has secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the United States. The announcement followed a high-level meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh and includes an expansive defense partnership valued at nearly $142 billion.

Described by the White House as a “historic and transformative” moment, the agreement represents a new era in US-Saudi relations, reinforcing strategic ties and unlocking immense economic opportunities across critical industries including energy, defense, infrastructure, healthcare, and technology.

More on the agreement: The agreement includes a defense sales package and encompasses cutting-edge military equipment and services from over a dozen American defense firms and aims to modernize Saudi Arabia’s armed forces in key areas such as AI, defense, energy, infrastructure, and healthcare.

At the forefront of the agreement is a $20 billion pledge from Saudi data infrastructure leader DataVolt to develop AI data centers and energy infrastructure throughout the United States. In addition, US tech giants like Google, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber, will jointly invest $80 billion alongside Saudi partners to drive innovation in emerging technologies across both nations.

The agreement also focuses on a record-breaking $142 billion defense deal, encompassing air and missile defense, space systems, naval and coastal security, and military modernization. More than a dozen US defense firms are set to benefit, with the agreement also including extensive training programs and initiatives to strengthen the capabilities of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, according to a White House fact sheet.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters at the Capitol building in Washington, on May 8.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday that he is placing a blanket hold on all Justice Department political nominees until he receives answers on President Donald Trump’s plan to accept a jet from the Qatari royal family to be retrofitted as Air Force One.

A blanket hold does not mean that the Senate is unable to confirm these nominees, but it does force the Senate GOP to burn valuable floor time to overcome the hold. Only a simple majority vote is needed to overcome the hold.

“So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers,” he added.

CNN previously reported that several Republican senators have misgivings about Trump’s plans.

Trump confirmed on Sunday night that the Defense Department plans to accept a Boeing 747-8 jet to replace Air Force One as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.”

Given the massive value of a Boeing 747-8, the move is unprecedented and raises substantial ethical and legal questions.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to weigh in on the Trump administration’s plans to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to use as Air Force One.

CNN’s Alison Main contributed reporting to this post. This post has been updated with more reporting on Schumer’s announcement.

President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak during a meeting at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

The Trump administration entered into several new agreements with the government of Saudi Arabia Tuesday as President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seek to highlight close ties between the two countries.

At a formal signing ceremony in a gilded ballroom at Riyadh’s Royal Court, the two leaders signed memoranda of understanding, letters of intent, and other executive agreements spanning different government agencies.

Multiple focused on the two countries’ military cooperation, including the “modernization and development of the capabilities of the Saudi armed forces through future defense capabilities,” enhanced cooperation on “ammunition training, support services, maintenance system upgrades, spare parts and education for land and air systems of the National Guard,” and the “development of the health capabilities of the Saudi armed forces.”

The moment underscored deepening cooperation between the two countries as the crown prince has sought to position himself as a key US ally.

Other agreements were signed, including cooperation between the nations’ customs authorities, on “medical research related to infectious diseases,” “judicial cooperation” and a partnership between the Saudi Ministry of Interior and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others.

US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff leaves after a meeting with hostage families in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

Steve Witkoff, the US envoy for the Middle East, said he believes there is a “genuine” chance for progress in hostage talks in the Qatari capital Doha, the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Doha talks will coincide with US President Donald Trump’s tour of the Middle East. He is expected to arrive in Qatar on Wednesday.

Former hostages and family members of some still being held in Gaza are heading to Doha on Tuesday, a person familiar with their plans told CNN. They are expected to meet with senior American officials in the Qatari capital Wednesday.

There’s a hope they will be able to see Trump as well but plans are in flux and still being finalized, the person said. It’s a small group of about half a dozen individuals, both American and Israeli.

Witkoff and US hostage envoy Adam Boehler met hostage families for two hours in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, where they emphasized their “personal commitment” to release the remaining 58 hostages held in Gaza, the forum said.

According to the forum, Witkoff said he would prefer to see a diplomatic solution to bring the hostages home, and that most “captivity survivors have been released through diplomatic means.”

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed a negotiating team to leave for talks in Qatar, but he made clear that he is committed to the Witkoff proposal, which would see the release of half the hostages in return for a temporary ceasefire. The proposal does not guarantee an end to the war.

This post has been updated with more reporting on the hostage talks.

President Donald Trump is shoring up relations with a trio of key Middle Eastern allies during his first major international trip of his second term.

As he prioritizes the Middle East over more traditional partners around the world, there are three possible reasons why the president has made that decision: money, foreign policy and relationships.

Watch in the video below:

U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend a bilateral meeting at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump heaped praise on Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and focused on dealmaking Tuesday as the leaders held a bilateral meeting, underscoring both countries’ efforts to develop close ties.

“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said of the crown prince, touting their “tremendous relationship” and calling the visit an “honor.”

Trump said he was “so impressed” with MBS, calling him “very wise, wise beyond his years.” The crown prince has emerged as a key ally and a mediator in Trump’s efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has so far proven elusive. He has worked hard to cultivate close ties to Trump after his country was largely isolated due to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The US president heralded Saudi investment in the US, saying it would create “tremendous numbers of jobs.” He pointed to a previously announced $600 billion investment and joked that it will become “$1 trillion.”

Trump, who views himself as a dealmaker, has focused on publicly highlighting investment deals made during the trip instead of the more delicate and complicated geopolitical backdrop in the region — including the Hamas-Israel conflict and his team’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran.

Joined by top officials from both countries, the leaders were seated at the head of a comically large ballroom with their teams on either side.

Top Trump administration officials plan to be in Turkey this week for expected Ukraine-Russia talks on Thursday, but President Donald Trump’s possible attendance remains an open question that will largely be dictated by whether Russian President Vladimir Putin attends, according to a senior administration official.

Trump said yesterday he was considering joining the talks in Turkey if it would be helpful.

“I think you may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump during an event about drug prices at the White House.

“I was thinking about actually flying over there,” he added. “There’s a possibility of it, I guess.”

The possibility of Trump joining “put a lot of pressure on Putin,” the official said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already said he will fly to Turkey for the talks, which were initially proposed by Putin and then pushed by Trump.

Whether Trump attends or not, US envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff both plan to be in Istanbul for the talks, the official said. Another source familiar with the plans also confirmed Witkoff’s attendance. As of now, they plan to observe the proposed, Turkish-facilitated talks between the Ukrainians and Russians.

Members of a traditional Saudi honor guard escort the car carrying U.S. President Donald Trump during a welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

The pomp and circumstance of President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia continues as the president visited the Royal Court for the start of the day’s events.

A former reality TV star, Trump is acutely aware of the pageantry of a presidential visit, and his hosts provided the president with a warm welcome conveying hospitality and imagery sure to please their guest.

Trump’s motorcade was escorted onto the grounds by a fleet of Arabian horses with riders carrying American and Saudi flags. Trumpets sounded as the president emerged from his car and greeted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders stood under a covered pavilion as the national anthems of both countries were played, later walking indoors atop a purple carpet.

Inside an expansive ballroom, Trump, the crown prince, and other top officials from both countries partook in a coffee and tea ceremony, seated in plush purple chairs with gold trim. The warm relationship between Trump and bin Salman was on full display as they chatted comfortably.

Trump and bin Salman then greeted an extended list of high-level officials and business leaders ahead of a planned luncheon. Participants included the leaders of OpenAI, Amazon, NVIDIA, Palantir, Uber, Coca-Cola, Google and Boeing, underscoring the close ties the business community has worked to cultivate with the president during his second term. Elon Musk, a top Trump adviser and CEO of X, SpaceX, and Tesla, was among those greeting the leaders.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks on as he visits Riyadh with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has greeted big tech CEOs at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh, as he meets with US President Donald Trump.

Standing next to Trump, bin Salman shook hands with Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang and the leader of OpenAI, Sam Altman.

The business leaders are expected to attend a US-Saudi investment forum today.

The Trump family’s business ties to the Middle East have more than tripled since the president’s first term in office, a CNN tally of the deals has found, including a slew of new projects announced since he reclaimed the White House.

Amid the ongoing plans for luxury skyscrapers, golf courses and cryptocurrency deals in the region, Donald Trump is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week not only as US president, but also as the patriarch of a family whose business empire continues to expand in that part of the world.

His financial ties to the Middle East have prompted concerns among government ethicists who say it’s difficult to determine whether he’s acting in the best interest of the United States or his pocketbook.

“When the American people elect a president, they expect that person to work for them, not for profit,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, a consumer rights advocacy group. Such financial links, Weissman and other watchdogs say, create an opportunity for foreign powers to seek to sway United States policy through those lucrative business deals.

But Trump has moved full steam ahead. Read more about the family’s expanding business here.

US President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an official state arrival ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.

Trumpets sounded as President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman crossed an outdoor lavender carpet to stand under a pavilion during an arrival ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh.

Trump saluted during the US national anthem then put his hands at his sides for the Saudi one.

He later shook hands with many Saudi dignitaries.

The purple carpet — instead of a red one — is notable. In 2021, Saudi Arabian officials announced they would roll out this color as a way of celebrating Saudi national identity. According to the government, lavender “is associated with blossoming wildflowers” and “is a symbol of Saudi generosity.”

US President Donald Trump, center, is welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

This post has been updated with more information about the carpet.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Iranians were being “very reasonable” and “talking very intelligently” in negotiations with Washington over Tehran’s nuclear program.

“Soon I’m heading over to the Middle East, and we’ll see what we’ll do in regards to Iran. I think you have some very good things happening there,” Trump told reporters.

Trump stopped short of demanding that Iran end its uranium enrichment program altogether, which US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday said was a “red line” for Washington.

Some background: Iran has said it will not surrender its right to enrich uranium, a nuclear fuel that can be used to build a weapon if enriched to high levels. The country has long insisted it does not want a nuclear weapon and that its program is for energy purposes.

Trump’s remarks come as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was winding up a visit to the same three countries on Trump’s Middle East tour. Araghchi also made a stop in Oman on Sunday for nuclear talks with US officials, which the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson later described as “difficult.”

A senior Trump administration official gave a more positive assessment of the talks, telling CNN the discussions were encouraging.

Nour News, an outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said on Tuesday that Araghchi’s visit to Gulf states ahead of Trump’s tour shows “a strategic model” espoused by Tehran, in which “active diplomacy and decisive deterrence complement and enhance each other.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is optimistic the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law during President Donald Trump’s first term, will be extended this year and become permanent.

Bessent is accompanying Trump on his visit to the Middle East. Trump is also expected to speak at the investment forum later Tuesday.

Bessent added that the tax cuts act would have new features that are “very friendly to capital.”

As he travels the Middle East on his first major international trip of his second term, President Donald Trump will meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

But some of the most significant aspects of the trip are topics that are not expected to be discussed publicly by Trump or his counterparts.

Human rights: It is unclear whether Trump will publicly discuss Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and its treatment of women. The Saudi government has said it has a “deep commitment” to fostering “opportunities for every Saudi citizen.”

Trump’s personal financial interests: The Trump Organization, which is being run by the president’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, is involved in major real estate projects in each of the countries he will visit. None of the president’s family members are expected to join him on the trip.

Speaking in Dubai last month, Eric Trump stressed the importance of ties between the US and Gulf countries.

A Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15.

When sultans tried to give President Martin Van Buren lavish gifts, he did what the Constitution requires and asked Congress what to do.

Two live lions had been gifted to Van Buren by the Sultan of Morocco at the US consulate in Tangiers in 1839 and the Sultan of Oman tried to give him “horses, pearls and other things of value,” delivered by ships in 1840.

Congress told Van Buren those gifts were not OK. The lions went to a zoo and the horses were sold. The Van Buren pearls are in the Smithsonian.

In contrast, President Donald Trump very much wants to accept a luxury $400 million Boeing 747 from the royal family of Qatar to be used as Air Force One.

After Trump’s term ends, when a long-delayed brand-new set of Air Force One planes from Boeing might be ready, the luxury jet would go to Trump’s presidential library.

The legal details are “still being worked out,” the White House said, and Qatar said that no decision has been made.

There are major problems with Trump’s plan:

Read the full analysis.

Prominent US business leaders are expected to attend a lunch today in Riyadh at the Saudi Royal Court with President Donald Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other top officials.

The heads of Amazon, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Palantir, Uber, Coca-Cola, Google and Boeing are among those expected to be there, according to a list of attendees provided by the White House.

Tesla, SpaceX, and X owner Elon Musk, who is also a senior adviser to the president and runs the US Department of Government Efficiency, is also expected to attend in his capacity as a CEO.

And Dina Powell, a Trump administration official during his first term and now the vice chairman of BDT & MSD bank and wife to Sen. David McCormick of Pennsylvania, is also on the list, as is Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

President Donald Trump, left, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak during a coffee ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

Each of the nations President Donald Trump is visiting has a list of priorities. Here’s what they want from the US:

Saudi Arabia: “Gulf States are looking for reassurance of the US security commitment to the Gulf’s stability,” said Ali Shihabi, a commentator on Saudi Arabia.

Last year, the US and Saudi Arabia came close to finalizing a defense and trade pact – but the deal stalled over Saudi insistence that Israel commit to a path toward Palestinian statehood.

Riyadh is also seeking US cooperation to develop a civil nuclear program, but that has been held up over its insistence on enriching uranium domestically – raising concerns in the US and Israel over nuclear weapons proliferation.

White House backing for a Saudi nuclear program could see American firms win lucrative contracts.

But for Riyadh to diversify away from oil, it still needs to sell oil to fund that transition. Trump has said he wants oil prices lower, putting him at odds with Saudi Arabia.

United Arab Emirates: The UAE sees investment as central to its strategy for deepening ties with the US. In March, it announced a $1.4 trillion investment plan over 10 years focused on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing, and energy.

But it won’t be easy for Abu Dhabi to achieve its stated goal of becoming a global leader in AI by 2031 without US chips.

Qatar: The country hosts the biggest US military installation in the Middle East, which the State Department describes as “indispensable” for US military operations in the region.

Qatar has also been a key mediator in a number of conflicts – from the war in Gaza to Afghanistan. Experts say it is part of an effort to remain relevant in the eyes of Washington.

President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump received a royal Saudi welcome Tuesday as he arrived in the capital, Riyadh, descending Air Force One on purple-carpeted steps to a greeting from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Trump and the crown prince greeted each other warmly and walked the tarmac together, also briefly speaking to top Saudi officials before entering the airport, where they were seated in plush purple chairs with gold trim underneath portraits of Saudi royal family members.

They were joined by top US officials — Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright — as well as Saudi officials, who each sat in purple chairs alongside.

Prince bin Salman has emerged as a key Trump ally who has been involved in US efforts to mediate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. He has worked to cultivate close ties to Trump, starting in the president’s first term, and was among the first world leaders to congratulate him after his swearing-in in January.

Choosing Riyadh as the first stop on his first major international trip of his second term underscores how Trump is seeking to prioritize and empower the Arab state from its isolation following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump speaks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at an arrival ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

For Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump’s visit is an opportunity for the kingdom to showcase what it has to offer as the Middle East rapidly changes, a regional expert said.

“It’ll be a key moment and a real opportunity to showcase what Saudi has to offer,” Dina Esfandiary, Middle East lead for Bloomberg Economics, told CNN’s Becky Anderson on Tuesday.

Trump’s visit will also be a chance for Riyadh to “set some red lines on what it wants the US to do in the region and with the conflicts in the region,” she said, adding that today’s Middle East is very different from the one Trump visited during his first term.

Saudi Arabia has been engaging with former adversary Iran, and is wary of getting embroiled in any military confrontation between Tehran, the US and Israel.

The Saudis are “supportive of any kind of de-escalation talks,” Esfandiary.

Trump is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. He will also make stops in Doha, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates this week. The trip echoes Trump’s first international trip as president in 2017.