Latest news with #binSalman
Global News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
Canada invites Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman to G7 summit: sources
Canada has invited Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the upcoming G7 Leaders' Summit in Alberta, Global News has learned. It is not yet known if bin Salman has accepted the invitation. He did not attend last year's G7 summit in Italy despite being invited there as well. Canada's invitation marks the third time in recent days that Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government has reached out to leaders of countries whose relationships with Canada have been strained. Leaders from the world's largest economies are set to gather in Kananaskis for three days of talks that begin Sunday. It is common practice for host countries to invite other world leaders to the annual summit to discuss pressing global issues. Saudi Arabia is seen as a key player in Middle East diplomacy. It has been supportive of efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel continues to conduct a military offensive against Hamas that has created a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Story continues below advertisement The kingdom has also hosted talks involving the United States on finding an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, a conflict that is expected to be among the major topics at the summit. Yet Saudi Arabia's human rights record has been criticized by Canada and independent advocacy groups, despite bin Salman's stated efforts to improve women's rights. 5:26 Controversy over Saudi Arabia hosting 2034 FIFA World Cup The country recalled its ambassador from Ottawa and expelled Canada's envoy in 2018 after Global Affairs Canada called on Saudi Arabia to 'immediately release' detained women's rights and democracy activists. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy That diplomatic spat began months before the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. Saudi Arabia has denied findings by U.S. intelligence agencies that bin Salman had approved his killing. Canada sanctioned over a dozen Saudi nationals linked to Khashoggi's murder. Story continues below advertisement Canada and Saudi Arabia began thawing relations in 2023 by welcoming new ambassadors to each other's capitals. Saudi Arabia's national airline also resumed flights to Canada after a five-year suspension. Before the diplomatic spat, the Liberal government had temporarily paused arm sales to Saudi Arabia over reports the country's Canadian-made light armoured vehicles were being used in a bloody conflict in Yemen. Bin Salman attended several events during U.S. President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East last month. Trump gushed over the crown prince during that trip, calling him 'my friend' and praising his efforts to modernize the country. 1:58 Trump prioritizing foreign investment in Gulf states tour Carney personally invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit last week, which Modi has accepted. The move has angered Sikh nationals in Canada — including within Carney's Liberal caucus — who point to allegations that Modi's government was involved in the murder of a Sikh activist leader in British Columbia in 2023. Story continues below advertisement The RCMP is continuing to investigate what it has said are reports of intimidation and violence against Sikhs by Indian agents on Canadian soil. Carney defended the invitation of Modi on Friday and avoided saying whether he believes Modi was involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, referring to the ongoing 'legal process.' Carney also spoke last week with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, with the Prime Minister's Office saying the two leaders agreed to regularize channels of communication between Ottawa and Beijing, despite ongoing disputes over trade and human rights. No officials from China are expected to attend next week's G7 summit. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday she had accepted an invitation to attend the summit. It will mark the first time the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are together since Trump launched a multi-front trade war over the flow of fentanyl and the North American auto sector. Negotiations over the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on free trade (CUSMA) are expected to begin next year, but Trump's tariffs have led Canada to seek a bilateral economic and security agreement with the U.S. Multiple premiers have also called on Mexico to be written out of any future free trade agreement. Story continues below advertisement —With files from the Canadian Press
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump defends $400M jet gift on Mideast tour
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. What happened President Trump last week embarked on a pomp-filled tour of the Middle East, where he signed investment deals with Saudi Arabia, pledged to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, made overtures to Iran, and sparked domestic uproar with his plan to accept Qatar's gift of a $400 million jet. Trump scoffed at ethical concerns about receiving a lavishly appointed Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari royal family, saying the "palace in the sky" would be converted into an Air Force One and would go to his presidential library after he left office. Only a "stupid" person wouldn't want "a free, very expensive airplane," said Trump. In a memo, Attorney General Pam Bondi—a former lobbyist for Qatar—declared the gift would not violate anti-bribery laws or the Constitution's ban on foreign gifts because it would go initially to the Defense Department. But even many Republicans balked at the plan. Qatar's rulers "support Hamas," said Florida Sen. Rick Scott. "I don't know how you make [the plane] safe." As Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, his first stop, he got a ceremonial escort from six Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s and was met by an honor guard with golden swords. Sitting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman under sparkling chandeliers in the royal palace, Trump praised the kingdom's de facto ruler as an "incredible man" and "my friend." In Riyadh, Trump announced he would lift decades-old sanctions on Syria to give the war-ravaged country "a chance at peace." The next day he met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaida militant who led the recent overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad, praising him as a "tough guy." Trump noted that he decided to lift sanctions after a request from bin Salman. "Oh, what I do for the crown prince," he said. Trump offered "a new path" to Iran, promising to ease sanctions if it abandoned its nuclear program and support of proxy militias. Should Tehran reject this "olive branch," he said, "we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure." During the trip, bin Salman committed to $600 billion in U.S. investments, including $142 billion in arms purchases. Qatar, Trump's second stop, pledged deals worth more than $243 billion, including $96 billion in Boeing jets for Qatar Airways. Trump's belief he can blithely accept a $400 million plane from Qatar is jaw-dropping, said the San Antonio Express-News. It's "a blatant act of self-enrichment" and a clear violation of the Constitution's emoluments clause, which forbids gifts for U.S. officials from "any King, Prince, or foreign State." That it technically goes to the Defense Department means nothing: The chief beneficiary will be a "corrupt president who is easily swayed by flattery and presents." "Making matters worse is that Qatar is no friend," said National Review. Its "terrorist-loving government" has long supported Yemen's Houthi militia and funneled billions to Hamas, helping the group build the infrastructure it needed for the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. It then blamed Israel for the slaughter and refused to use its leverage to help free Hamas' hostages. "Absolutely nothing good" can come from a president "feeling he owes something" to such a regime. Trump visited a region awash in "tumult," from the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza to the missile exchanges between Israel and the Iran-backed Houthis, said Alex Shephard in The New Republic. But actual diplomacy on this trip was an afterthought. Instead, his focus was business—with an uneasy blurring between America's interests and those of Trump Inc. Eric and Don Jr. "have been jaunting across the region" striking deals worth billions of dollars, including a high-end residential tower in Saudi Arabia and a golf course and villa complex in Qatar. Meanwhile, Trump's "sidelining" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unnerving Israelis, said Gerry Shih in The Washington Post. His failure to visit Jerusalem comes amid other signs of "cracks" between the staunch allies. The U.S. has engaged in hostage talks with Hamas without Israel's knowledge, struck a truce with the Houthis that didn't protect Israel, and moved to start nuclear negotiations with Iran while vetoing an Israeli strike on its enemy. Many Israelis now fear they're being cast off by a president they considered to be "the most pro-Israel in history." It's telling that for the first planned trip of his second term, Trump chose "not a democracy but a despotism," said William Kristol in The Bulwark. And his gushing praise of bin Salman—a global pariah after he ordered the 2018 murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi—made clear he "admires the Saudi achievements in autocracy, plutocracy, and kleptocracy." Indeed, in remarks at a business summit in Riyadh, he condemned the "so-called nation builders, neocons, or liberal nonprofits" who have promoted democracy and liberalism in the region. Since Trump returned to office, "the specter of authoritarianism" has sparked wide alarm, said Edward Luce in Financial Times. But "autocracy's twin is kleptocracy," and on that front Trump "seems much further advanced." The Trump family's crypto ventures are raking in millions. His sons are building a Trump-branded golf resort in Qatar, which is also a major investor in his son-in-law Jared Kushner's investment fund. It'd be fair to ask the America First president how any of this serves U.S. interests. "The suspicion arises that the president's real agenda is Trump First," and "the rest is sleight of hand." Trump's "free" plane would be no "gift for the American taxpayer," said Joe Gould and Connor O'Brien in Politico. The two presidential planes currently in use are decades old and "increasingly hard to maintain," and replacements are years behind schedule. But before it could be used as Air Force One, the Qatari jet "would need to be torn down and rebuilt from the inside out" to meet security and communications needs and swept for "embedded foreign tech." Experts say that process could cost the government tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. The furor over the plane could raise the heat on a simmering problem for Trump, said Aaron Blake in The Washington Post. Polls show many Americans have concerns about his business dealings, and lately we've seen "explosive reporting about Trump getting rich off cryptocurrency." While most Americans don't understand crypto, anyone can grasp the taking of an "extraordinary gift" from an Arab monarchy—a gift that would land just as he asks Americans to embrace austerity in his on-again, off-again trade war. Even for this norm-shattering president, "that would be pretty brazen."
Sydney Morning Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump is MAGA-fying the Middle East, with or without Netanyahu's support
In a repeat of his first presidency, Donald Trump has chosen to visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for his inaugural overseas visit, and significantly, bypass Israel on his four-day trip. In part, this is because he is keen to maximise the US's ability to benefit from hydro-carbon resource wealth and lucrative markets of the region, and not let their regional strategic partner, Israel, stand in the way. Another reason for the visit is almost certainly to thank Qatar for their most recent gift to the United States government – a $US400 million ($622 million) luxury jet Trump plans to keep when he leaves office. But this visit is not like that of a usual dignitary or foreign power passing through. As a transactional leader, Trump is set to transform the Middle East according to his Make America Great Again dictum. Although still committed to the security of the state of Israel, Trump has found its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, too trigger-happy in getting the US involved in Israel's regional conflicts. Thus, his relationship with the prime minister has taken a back-seat to America's wider regional interests. During a speech in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, Trump outlined his vision for remaking the region, saying, 'As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be very profound.' Loading Trump wants to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has engaged in social modernisation in proximity to Trump's liking. Though MBS, as bin Salman is known, was shaken by Joe Biden's regional plan (an 'Israel-first' policy and withdrawal from Afghanistan), the crown prince engaged in diversifying Saudi foreign relations by joining the BRICS forum for emerging economies, strengthening ties with China and improving relations with Iran. While impressed by bin Salman making trillion-dollar trade, investment and defence deals, Trump has de-emphasised the importance of a healthy relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel (something he previously advocated for). So much so that Trump has expressed a willingness to help Saudi Arabia establish a nuclear program.
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Trump: US to lift Syria sanctions, $600b in Saudi deals
RIYADH (Reuters) -- US President Donald Trump kicked off his trip to the Gulf on Tuesday with a surprise announcement that the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, and claiming a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the US. The US agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, according to the White House which called it the largest "defense cooperation agreement" Washington has ever done. The end of sanctions on Syria would be a huge boost for a country that has been shattered by more than a decade of civil war. Rebels led by current President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad last December. Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh at the start of a deals-focused trip that also brought a flurry of diplomacy, Trump said he was acting on a request to scrap the sanctions by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "Oh what I do for the crown prince," Trump said, drawing laughs from the audience. He said the sanctions had served an important function but that it was now time for the country to move forward. The move represents a major US policy shift. The US declared Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, added sanctions in 2004 and imposed further sanctions after the civil war broke out in 2011. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on social media platform X that the planned move marked a "new start" in Syria's path to reconstruction. Trump has agreed to briefly greet Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, a White House official said. Trump and the Saudi crown prince signed an agreement covering energy, defense, mining and other areas. Trump has sought to strengthen relations with the Saudis to improve regional ties with Israel and act as a bulwark against Iran. The agreement covers deals with more than a dozen US defense companies for areas including air and missile defense, air force and space, maritime security and communications, a White House fact sheet said. It was not clear whether the deal included Lockheed F-35 jets, which sources say have been discussed. The Saudi prince said the total package could reach $1 trillion when further agreements are reached in the months ahead. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest customers for US arms, and the two countries have maintained strong ties for decades based on an arrangement in which the kingdom delivers oil and the superpower provides security. But relations were strained after the 2018 murder of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul caused a global uproar. US intelligence concluded that bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, a prominent critic, but the Saudi government has denied any involvement. Trump did not mention the incident during his visit and called bin Salman an "incredible man." "I really believe we like each other a lot," Trump said. Trump will go on from Riyadh to Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday in a trip that is focused on investment rather than security matters in the Middle East. Several US business leaders attended the event, including: Elon Musk, the Tesla chief who has led a government-downsizing effort for Trump in Washington; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman; BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman. Trump was shown speaking with several Saudi officials, including sovereign wealth fund governor Yasir al-Rumayyan, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser and investment minister Khalid al-Falih as he viewed models for the kingdom's flashy, multibillion-dollar development projects. Bin Salman has focused on diversifying the Saudi economy in a major reform program dubbed Vision 2030 that includes "Giga-projects" such as NEOM, a futuristic city the size of Belgium. Oil generated 62 percent of Saudi government revenue last year. The kingdom has scaled back some of its ambitions as rising costs and falling oil prices weigh on it. Trump has not scheduled a stop in Israel, raising questions about where the close ally stands in Washington's priorities as Trump presses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a new ceasefire deal in the 19-month-old Gaza war. Israel's military operations against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and its assassinations of the two Iran-allied groups' leaders, have at the same time given Trump more leverage by weakening Tehran and its regional allies. Trump said it was his "fervent hope" that Saudi Arabia would soon normalize relations with Israel, following other Arab states that did so during his first 2017-2021 term. "But you'll do it in your own time," he said. Netanyahu's opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state makes progress with the Saudis unlikely, sources told Reuters. Trump on Tuesday called Iran "the most destructive force" in the Middle East and warned that the US will never allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon. He said he was willing to strike a new deal with the Islamic Republic but only if its leaders changed course. "I want to make a deal with Iran," he said. "But if Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch... we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure."
TimesLIVE
14-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Trump lavishes praise on Saudi crown prince, signalling renewed alliance
Four years ago, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman struggled to get an audience with then-US president Joe Biden, who said he wanted to make the Gulf country a pariah after its leader allegedly ordered the murder of a Washington-based journalist. On Tuesday US President Donald Trump lavished effusive praise on Saudi's de facto ruler, calling him 'an incredible man' and a 'great guy' — and made no mention of human rights concerns in the country. 'I like him a lot. I like him too much,' Trump gushed as cameras flashed and the crowd applauded at an investment summit in Riyadh, where the US president kicked off the first major overseas trip of his second term. The display of affection for a leader with a contentious history mirrored Trump's first term, when he forged an alliance with bin Salman that deepened through years of mutual flattery and deal making. The relationship remains anchored in shared interests: Trump is chasing major economic wins and a revived US role in the region, while bin Salman seeks access to advanced technology, military support and a powerful ally in his push to modernise Saudi Arabia and assert regional leadership.
