The Saudi capital, Riyadh, is preparing to host an exceptional regional summit this Tuesday, bringing together U.S. President Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Reports also suggest the possible participation of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar’a.
According to The Times of Israel, a diplomatic source revealed that the summit was proposed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with Trump approving the initiative as part of Saudi Arabia’s renewed push to reclaim its leadership role in the region—especially amidst the escalating Israeli war on Gaza and the faltering normalisation process with the Zionist entity.
Trump had previously stated in February that Saudi Arabia no longer considers the creation of a Palestinian state a prerequisite for normalisation with Israel, prompting an immediate denial from Riyadh at the time.
The same diplomatic source indicated that Trump agreed to bin Salman’s request to include other Arab leaders, as part of his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE scheduled for May 13–16.
According to Reuters, the Saudi Crown Prince is aiming to secure a formal U.S. commitment to support the establishment of a Palestinian state, positioning it as a non-negotiable condition for any future normalisation deal with Israel. Bin Salman views this as a potentially historic diplomatic breakthrough that could shift the Arab and Islamic stance on the Palestinian issue.
This initiative comes at a moment of heightened regional tension, especially in Lebanon, where international pressure is growing to disarm Hezbollah and to expand UNIFIL’s authority south of the Litani River. Tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border remain dangerously high.
The anticipated participation of Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar’a, in what would be his first major Arab-international summit since taking office, signals a gradual realignment with the Gulf bloc, reportedly driven by joint U.S.–Russian mediation.
However, questions remain around the attendance of President Mahmoud Abbas. Haaretz cited a Palestinian Authority source denying current travel plans to Riyadh, noting that Abbas remains in Moscow for official talks. Nevertheless, American and Israeli outlets confirm that an invitation has already been extended to the Palestinian leadership in an attempt to give the summit greater political legitimacy.
For his part, Trump seeks to use the summit to bolster his international stature by brokering major agreements on regional security and post-war reconstruction in Syria and Lebanon. In parallel, he is pushing for massive Gulf investments in U.S. infrastructure as part of his “Economic Renaissance Plan.”
Reports confirm that Trump is targeting over $1 trillion in investments, spanning technology, energy, and defense sectors, during his Gulf tour.
Perhaps most notably, the summit will take place without any Israeli presence at the table. Analysts interpret this as a deliberate move by Saudi Arabia to realign Arab priorities and consolidate internal consensus before making any further steps toward normalisation.
The summit also comes amid growing international calls to end Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, which has already led to thousands of Palestinian martyrs and triggered a massive wave of displacement.
