US President Donald Trump stated that his meeting with the transitional Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was “great.”

Trump added in a statement aboard the plane taking him to Qatar today, Wednesday, May 14, that “al-Sharaa is a true leader, he led the revolution and he is amazing,” adding that the Syrian president is “a young, attractive guy and a fighter with a very strong past, and he has a real chance to maintain the unity of Syria.”

In response to a question about reports that the Syrian president wants to build a Trump Tower in Damascus, Trump said, “He has the capabilities, he is a true leader,” referring to al-Sharaa.

The US president noted that he informed Israel that he would lift sanctions on Syria, emphasizing that this step is very important for the Middle East.

President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia this morning and urged him to normalize relations with Israel.

The Turkish news agency “Anadolu” reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joined Trump, al-Sharaa, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the meeting virtually.

Trump urged al-Sharaa to join the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, which normalized relations with Israel under the US-mediated Abraham Accords in 2020.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan stated in a press conference that Riyadh would support the recovery of the Syrian economy, mentioning that there are many investment opportunities in the country after lifting the sanctions.

Israel, a US ally, opposed easing sanctions on Syria and escalated its military operations since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, stating that it “will not tolerate an Islamic presence in southern Syria.”

The meeting between President Donald Trump and President Ahmed al-Sharaa is the first of its kind at the presidential level in 25 years.

On Tuesday evening, President Trump announced his decision to lift US sanctions imposed on Syria under the ousted regime.

During a speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, Trump said, “It’s time to give Syria a chance, and I wish it good luck.”

The US president added that he decided to lift the sanctions after discussing the matter with the Saudi Crown Prince and the Turkish president.