The sanctions were really crippling,” President Trump said, before he traveled to Qatar, where he was given a lavish welcome.

The day began with pomp in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and ended in Qatar after the U.S. leader was greeted with camels and sped to what he said was a “perfecto” marble palace.

President Donald Trump met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years and one that could mark a turning point for the region as Syria struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation.