The US president gets a "lavender-carpet" reception on a whirlwind visit of Gulf countries mainly focused on shoring up investment.

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, in a face-to-face with the onetime insurgent leader who spent years imprisoned by U.S. forces after being captured in Iraq.

The four-day trip, President Donald Trump’s first overseas tour since his reelection, is expected to focus on business deals and investments from the region.

By Timour Azhari and Humeyra Pamuk DAMASCUS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Trump Tower in Damascus, a detente with Israel and U.S. access to Syria's oil and gas are part of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's strategic pitch to try to get face time with U.