- During President Donald Trump's visit to Qatar, multiple agreements were signed between the two countries.
- While still in Saudi Arabia, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
- Trump also participated in a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
President Donald Trump’s trip through the Middle East continues, and on Wednesday, he arrived in Qatar, where he signed several agreements.
Before flying to Qatar from Saudi Arabia, Trump participated in a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting and met with Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa on Wednesday morning.
After being greeted upon his arrival in Qatar, the president participated in bilateral meetings, a luncheon and a signing ceremony. He also attended a state dinner at Lusail Palace in Doha to end his day, per CNN.
As a part of the signing ceremony, Trump signed an agreement with Qatar projected to be worth at least $1.2 trillion.
The president will be traveling to United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
Agreement between Boeing and Qatar Airways
During a signing ceremony in Qatar, Trump announced a $200 billion deal for Qatar to purchase 160 jets from American airplane manufacturer Boeing for the country’s airline Qatar Airways. The deal also includes the sale of GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways.
“Get those planes out there. Get them out there,” Trump said about the aircraft deal.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was there to sign the deal. According to The Washington Post, Trump said that this was the second-largest order in Boeing’s history.
“I think after signing these documents, we are going to another level of relationship between Qatar and the United States,” Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said. “So I just wanted to thank you, Mr. President, for this historic visit.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed agreements in Qatar having to do with defense, including a statement of intent on defense cooperation between the state of Qatar and the United States, according to CNN.
Hegseth also signed acceptance and offer letters for MQ 9B aircrafts and FS-LIDS.
Trump signed a joint declaration of cooperation between Qatar and the United States.
There were also deals made with Al Rabban Capital and Qatar Energy.
Also present at the signing ceremony were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Trump praises Qatari leader
During his visit, Trump poured praise on the Qatari emir, saying he’s a “very special guy” with whom he has had a “longtime friendship.” These comments came after the two signed the agreements between the two countries, according to The Washington Post.
“Long before any of this stuff, we just liked each other. That’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing. But, we always had a very special relationship,” the president said.
Trump also compared Al Thani to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying the two are similar. He visited the crown prince on Tuesday.
“You two guys get along so well and like each other,” Trump said. “You sort of remind me a little bit of each other, if you want to know the truth. Both tall, handsome guys that happen to be very smart.”
Gulf Cooperation Council meeting
Before leaving Saudi Arabia, Trump attended a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting. The GCC includes leaders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to PBS.
During the meeting, Trump criticized former President Joe Biden and claimed the 2020 election was “rigged.” He also targeted the White House press corps, saying they produce “fake news,” per CNN.
He also spoke of his decision to drop sanctions against Syria, telling the council, “I felt very strongly that this would give them a chance. … It was my honor to do so.”
“We are currently exploring normalizing with Syria’s new government,” Trump added.
Meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa
On Tuesday, Trump announced he would be lifting sanctions on Syria, and on Wednesday, he had an informal meeting with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Leaders from Saudi Arabia and Turkey were also included in the meeting.
Al-Sharaa is a former jihadist who helped topple the brutal Assad regime in Syria.
The meeting between the two leaders was the first time a U.S. president has met with their Syrian counterpart in 25 years. The last time was when Bill Clinton met with then-Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in March 2000, in Geneva, according to The Washington Post.
Trump urged al-Sharaa to normalize his country’s relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords. On Tuesday, he also encouraged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements that established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab nations.
After deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad fled from Syria to Russia last year, Sharaa took control of the country.
Sharaa’s power came from leading Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist rebel group with ties to al-Qaeda, per The Washington Post. The group has been labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S.
According to CNN, the Syrian foreign ministry reported that Trump committed to “standing by Syria at this critical juncture.”