Syria’s New Leader Pitches ‘Trump Tower Damascus’ as He Meets Prez For First Time

President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, just hours after lifting all U.S. sanctions on Syria in a meeting that came with a personal pitch from the former jihadist-turned-head-of-state: oil rights and a proposed Trump Tower in Damascus.

The hastily arranged meeting, ahead of a Gulf Cooperation Council summit, followed months of quiet lobbying by Syrian, Turkish, and Saudi intermediaries.

The Syrian leader reportedly came prepared with a pitch tailored for Trump: Syrian oil, reassurances on Israel, and even a proposal to build a Trump Tower in Damascus. In return, Trump laid out his demands: a commitment to signing the Abraham Accords, recognizing Israel, and a pledge to help prevent a resurgence of ISIS.

The sit-down marked the first face-to-face meeting between U.S. and Syrian leaders in over two decades — and the first involving a man who was once a U.S.-designated terrorist. Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, once led the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and fought against U.S. forces in Iraq.

He still faces an outstanding warrant on terrorism charges in Iraq and the U.S. previously had a $10 million bounty for information on his whereabouts.

“There’s a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilising the country and keeping peace,” Trump said in Riyadh on Tuesday afternoon. “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness.”