Trump moves on to the topic of the war in Gaza.

The US president says he hopes for a future of "safety and dignity" for Palestinians, but this cannot happen when the leaders of Gaza continue with violence.

Trump adds that he appreciates the "constructive role that the leaders in this room have taken trying to bring this conflict to an end".

He also thanks the leaders for helping secure the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander.

Image source, Reuters

"Many are watching with envy," Trump tells the assembled Arab leaders - as he says there "are incredible deals within reach for this region".

Trump then accuses the Biden administration of "creating bedlam by being incompetent".

The US president says "people at this table know where my loyalties lie".

He follows this by saying he wants to make a deal with Iran, but in order for that to happen it must "stop sponsoring terror" and "must not have a nuclear weapon".

Donald Trump has begun to speak at the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh.

You can stream it by hitting watch live at the top of the page - and we'll bring you the key lines here in the feed.

Image source, Reuters

After posing for a quick photo, we've just seen pictures of President Trump shaking hands with other officials at the summit.

He has just sat down at a large round table, ready to listen to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman make a speech.

Image source, Reuters

Following the private meeting between the leaders of Syria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Donald Trump is now at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit currently under way in Riyadh

After this, the US president will be heading to Qatar for the second leg of his four-day tour of the Middle East.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the meeting between Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Ahmed al-Sharaa remotely, according to Turkish news agency Anadolu.

Why Trump’s meeting with Sharaa matterspublished at 08:39 British Summer Time 14 May

08:39 BST 14 May

Khashayar Joneidi
BBC Persian Correspondent in Riyadh

Donald Trump’s meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa presents a key opportunity to strengthen Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for the future of the Middle East.

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria marked a significant defeat for the Islamic Republic of Iran - and a major opportunity for Saudi Arabia to curb Iranian influence in the Arab world.

However, simply removing Assad is not enough to cement Saudi - and Turkish - footholds in Syria.

What both countries need is a stable government under Sharaa’s leadership, one capable of restoring security, facilitating economic recovery and leading the reconstruction of a country devastated by war.

The lifting of fifty-year-old US sanctions against Syria, reportedly at the request of Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, paves the way for substantial Saudi and Turkish investment in Syria.

American companies, particularly in the energy sector, are also expected to benefit from the opening.

Trump’s meeting with Sharaa will go a long way in granting international legitimacy to a man once vilified under his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, due to his past links to al-Qaeda.

US President Donald Trump has met Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, according to reports from the capital Riyadh.

It's the first time leaders of the two countries have met since 2000, but yesterday Trump's office said it would just be to "say hello".

Lina Sinjab
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Damascus

Syria’s new president has gone from being a jihadist, with the US offering a $10m reward for his arrest, to shaking hands with President Trump.

The bounty was lifted shortly after Ahmed al-Sharaa’s group, then called HTS, forced Assad out of Syria, amid promises that he would fight so-called Islamic State and form an inclusive government.

Since then, Sharaa is seen as having scored big successes on regional and international levels - especially after his visit to France to meet President Emmanuel Macron.

Now, the US announcement on lifting sanctions has saved Syria from further deterioration, with its wrecked economy in need of a fresh start.

Many are counting on Sharaa’s motivations and regional support, hoping the money will flow into the country to rebuild it, and allow millions of refugees and internally displaced people to rebuild their homes destroyed by Assad’s bombardment.

But some are worried that Sharaa’s government will now be relaxed about ruling the country under its own terms, and will not commit to promises on inclusivity and protecting social freedoms.

Some hardliners among government forces are threatening social freedoms, and are imposing random restrictions on ordinary people’s lives.

Image source, Reuters

Mouaz Moustafa heads the US-based Syria Emergency Task Force - an organisation that advocated on behalf of the opposition to ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

He tells the BBC World Service's Newsday programme that President Donald Trump's plans to briefly meet Syria's transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa are a game changer.

"For the first time in decades, Syria has hope," he says.

Moustafa adds that the war-torn nation now has the chance to become a "prosperous, stable and safe democracy".

"The Syrian people can rebuild and millions of refugees can return to their homes," he says.

We're seeing reports that Donald Trump will speak to Ahmed al-Sharaa shortly, before of the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh this morning.

Reporters are waiting in the Ritz Carlton hotel ahead of the first diplomatic meeting between a US and Syrian leader in decades.

We'll bring you any key lines from it here.

Image source, Getty Images

After a busy morning in Saudi Arabia, Trump will then set course for Qatar - where he will be welcomed with more pomp and pageantry at the royal court in Doha.

On this second leg of his whirlwind tour of the Gulf, the US president will be welcomed with a state visit by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and other officials.

But we'll also be watching out for whether the Qatari royal family follow through with the offer to gift Trump a much newer and more luxurious plane to use for official travel.

It is a present which has provoked huge controversy back in America among people who wonder what the Qatar wants in return.

• From BBC Verify: Is Trump is allowed to accept the plane as a gift?

The US government has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Syria for decades, affecting things from aid to finances.

There were spontaneous and joyous public celebrations in the streets of the capital Damascus yesterday, after Donald Trump said they will be lifted.

Many Syrians have expressed hope that their country will now have the chance to prosper. "The feeling is indescribable," Tarik Naamo tells the AFP news agency.

Huda Qusar says it'll be "great for our country", adding that "construction will return, the refugees will return, everyone will return, the prices will drop". They just need patience, she says.

"Thank God the sanctions have been lifted so we can finally live the way we used to or even better than before," Ahmad Asma says. "And finally we can start enjoying ourselves."

Image source, NurPhoto

Image source, NurPhoto

Syria's transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa formally took over a month after the rapid collapse of the Assad regime in December.

His forces led the coalition of militant groups in a swift campaign which toppled the brutal regime which ruled the war-torn nation for decades.

Previously, he was an al-Qaeda commander, but has since severed ties with the group. When he stepped into the role, Sharaa stressed that Syria's new government faced a "heavy task and a great responsibility".

After Bashar al-Assad's overthrow, 90% of Syria's population were left under the poverty line - and some violence continued with clashes between Islamist armed factions, security forces and fighters from the Druze religious minority.

There was also mass killings of hundreds of civilians from minority Alawite community in the western coastal region in March, during clashes between the new security forces and Assad loyalists.

The US move to lift sanctions yesterday has been met with positivity in Syria - and the meeting between al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump will be the first time US and Syrian leaders have met since 2000.

It may represent a further thawing in relations between the two countries - after the US scrapped a $10m (£7.9m) reward for the arrest of Sharaa in December, following diplomatic meetings.

Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from Riyadh

Today’s meeting between Donald Trump and Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was a last-minute addition to Donald Trump's schedule.

And it may be very brief – the White House said the US president had agreed to say "hello" to the new Syrian leader, who once led a branch of al-Qaeda but who has severed ties with the jihadist group.

He will then board Air Force One to fly to Qatar for further meetings, where the royal family are offering to give him a much newer and more luxurious plane to use for official travel.

It's a present which has provoked huge controversy back in America among people - who wonder what the Qataris will want in return.

Image source, Reuters

Adam Durbin
Live editor

Image source, EPA

Donald Trump has another busy day of meetings and (possible) deal-making in the Middle East today.

The US president is in Saudi Arabia this morning, where he is due to meet interim Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. The meeting comes after Trump announced yesterday that he will lift sanctions imposed during former dictator Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Trump will then jet off to Doha on Air Force One for the second leg of his four-day trip, where he's expected to meet the Emir of Qatar.

Yesterday, Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shared warm words and talked up the growing strength of the US-Saudi relationship. They also signed commercial agreements worth more than $600bn (£453bn), including a massive $142bn (£107bn) arms deal.

We'll be following Trump's movements throughout the day, with our teams in the Middle East bringing you all the latest news and analysis.

Image source, Reuters

It's been a big day for US-Saudi Arabia relations, with President Donald Trump in the Saudi capital Riyadh to kick off his first foreign visit since taking office for a second time.

What happened today?

Following a VIP-packed lunch, Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed several agreements, including a $142bn (£107bn) arms deal.

In an expansive hour-long speech later in the day, the US president heaped praise on the crown prince, saying the US and Saudi Arabia were taking steps to make their relationship "more powerful than ever before".

He also announced that the US would remove sanctions from Syria in order to give the country "a chance at greatness".

Trump added that he wanted to strike a deal with Iran, but warned the country's leaders that if they rejected his "olive branch" he would "inflict massive, maximum pressure".

And on the war in Gaza, the US president said the civilian population "deserve a much better future". As he was speaking, reports came in that an Israeli air strike had killed at least 16 people and injured dozens at a hospital in Khan Younis.

Mohammed bin Salman, in contrast, spoke comparatively little at the event - but said the US and Saudi Arabia share "deep economic relations", and would "continue to build" together.

What's to come?

Trump will continue his four-day tour of the Middle East with visits to Qatar on Wednesday and the UAE on Friday - he is also expected to meet the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia tomorrow

We're pausing our live coverage for now, but you can continue to follow the latest updates in our news story. Join us back here tomorrow for day two.

Celebratory gunfire in Damascus as Trump announces end to sanctionspublished at 19:54 British Summer Time 13 May

19:54 BST 13 May

Lina Sinjab
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Damascus

Image source, Reuters

Celebratory gunfire is heard in the capital Damascus tonight as Syrians feel a new chapter is opening - filled with opportunities for the war-ravaged country.

It's a moment that Syria has been waiting for.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been impacted by sanctions that have crippled the economy.

And now, with a new government in place after the toppling of the Assad regime which had left 90% of the population under the poverty line, new President Ahmad al-Sharaa needs sanctions to be lifted to be able to get the economy moving.

Many businesses and international donors want to chip in to help get funds and business deals flowing, but so far have been stopped by the sanctions.

No funds can be cleared to reach Syria while they're in place, as the Central Bank of Syria that would receive any transaction is also operating under sanctions.

It is a sigh of relief for Syrians inside the country who want to run their businesses as normal, but also for the millions stranded as refugees who have nowhere to come back to - as their homes were destroyed by Assad’s bombardments.

Rebuilding Syria needs international support - and now it will be easier to get it moving.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani says the decision to remove US sanctions marks a "new start" in his country's path to reconstruction.

"Thanks to the positions of our brothers, led by Saudi Arabia, we are turning a new page toward a future worthy of the Syrian people and their history," he writes in a post on X.

Graham Fraser
Senior technology reporter

US chip giant Nvidia and Saudi AI startup Humain have announced a partnership that will see 18,000 Nvidia chips help power the artificial intelligence (AI) aspirations of Saudi Arabia.

The announcement coincides with US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where he signed a $142bn (£107bn) defence agreement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Together, Nvidia and Humain - a company owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund that was launched on Monday with the purpose of developing and managing AI technologies - say they will build AI factories in Saudi Arabia with up to 500 megawatts of capacity.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been investing billions of dollars into tech and AI sectors as they try to diversify their economies away from oil.

Last week, the Trump administration scrapped Biden-era chip regulations that had placed restrictions on exports of advanced US chips to more than 120 countries - including the Gulf states.

Image source, Getty Images