US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would remove all sanctions against Syria, saying they had served an important function, but it was now time for Syria to move forward.
"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh.
"It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off," Trump said, "Good luck Syria, show us something very special," he added.
The United States imposed tough sanctions on Syria during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, and had kept them in place since he was toppled from power in December after more than 13 years of war.
Saudi Arabia has been a leading voice calling for the sanctions to be lifted.
Trump's latest announcement is a huge boost for interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he seeks to stabilise a country shattered by war.
Two sources from the Syrian presidency said Sharaa would travel to Riyadh to meet Trump.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan face renewed Iranian attacks after US hits Iran's south
Lebanese army enters southern town after Israeli withdrawal, in first test of US-brokered deal
Kuwait lodges formal protest with Iran over tanker attack; ministry says power station fires contained
Russian attack kills three in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, officials say
French parliament backs social media ban for children under 15
