Riyadh — US President Donald Trump reiterated that no one can break the strong relationship between the United States of America and Saudi Arabia. "I have strong relationships with King Salman and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," he said. President Trump's remarks came during his visit to Qatar as part of a three-nation Gulf tour that began with a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and Wednesday. Addressing the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump heaped praise on the Crown Prince for his visionary and dynamic leadership in building Saudi Arabia into a powerful global business hub. Further expressing his admiration for Saudi Arabia's transformation under the leadership of the Crown Prince, the US leader said, "Critics doubted it (Saudi's rise) was possible, what you've done, but over the past eight years. Saudi Arabia has proved the critics totally wrong...I like him a lot. I like him too much." Marking his commitment to a "close relationship" between the US and Saudi Arabia, Trump announced he was lifting sanctions on Syria at the request of MBS and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and said, "Oh, what I do for the crown prince." During his visit to Doha, Trump described his visit to the region as "historic and incredible," as he is the first US president to visit Qatar. He noted Qatar's role in supporting the Palestinian cause, looking forward to its assistance in negotiations with Iran, and benefiting from its 2022 experience in hosting and organizing the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. Embarking on the last leg of his tour, Trump left Doha for Abu Dhabi on Thursday where he will meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and other UAE leaders.
