Trump gets the royal-purple-carpet treatment in the Middle East, belying thorny geopolitical challenges

The president announced investment deals and lifted sanctions on Syria. But the Gaza conflict loomed large.

President Donald Trump arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday to a royal-purple-carpet rollout and a motorcade ride ensconced by a calvary of Arabian horses – a daylong kickoff to the first major international trip of his second term. Surrounded by top business leaders and Saudi officials, the president sought to project himself as a consummate dealmaker and diplomat on the world stage. He outlined a lofty vision for peace and prosperity in the region, announced investment deals and said the US would lift sanctions on Syria, a major change in foreign policy. He encouraged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, agreements inked with neighboring UAE and Bahrain during his first term that normalize relations with Israel. He put pressure on Iran to reach a nuclear deal with the US. The reality, though, is complicated: Trump is contending with an increasingly volatile and unresolved conflict in nearby Gaza that places serious limits on his ability to influence global affairs. Taken together, the president offered one of the most sweeping visions yet of an emerging foreign policy doctrine in four months back on the world stage that has captivated friend and foes alike. “I’m different than a lot of people think,” Trump told the Saudi-US Investment Forum. “I don’t like permanent enemies, but sometimes, you need enemies to do the job and you have to do it right. Enemies get you motivated.”