By Molly Claire Goddard
12:35am PDT, May 15, 2025
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Donald Trump will be meeting with Saudi Arabian president
Ahmad al-Sharaa — despite his alleged ties to Al Qaeda.
On Tuesday, May 13, the current commander-in-chief said he will be lifting sanctions against Syria before their controversial get-together.
Keep reading for more on Trump's sit-down with the foreign leader…
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"The president agreed to say hello to the Syrian president while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow," the White House confirmed in a statement about Donald Trump visiting with Ahmad al-Sharaa.
During a speech given to Saudi businessmen who gave him a standing ovation, Trump shared what will be happening before their meeting: "I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," he said.
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According to reports, Ahmad al-Sharaa was previously a member of Al Qaeda in Iraq in the early 2000s and battled against the United States military. In 2016, the leader allegedly cut ties with the organization.
Al-Sharaa was also a key reason for Assad's downfall in December 2024 following a longtime stalemate.
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However, according to Donald Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should be credited with the demise of Assad.
"We're going to have to make a decision on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve," the Republican leader explained in a press conference on Monday, May 12. "We may take them off of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start. But President Erdogan has asked me about that, many people have asked me about that. The way we have them sanctioned, it doesn't really give them much of a start. So, we want to see if we can help them out."
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On Tuesday, May 13, Donald Trump also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and applauded his leadership.
"He's your greatest representative, greatest representative. And if I didn't like him, I'd get out of here so fast. You know that, don't you? He knows me well. I do — I like him a lot. I like him too much," the former star of The Apprentice said in his 50-minute speech to guests at the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh-hosted event.
