Trump Calls On Saudi Arabia To Join Abraham Accords: ‘My Fervent Hope’

President Donald Trump called on Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords during a speech in Riyadh on Tuesday.

“It’s been an amazing thing, the Abraham Accords, and it’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia — a place I have such respect for, especially over the last fairly short period of time, what you’ve been able to do — but will soon be joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump said.

During his first term, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, a groundbreaking agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain that ended decades of formal hostilities. The accords opened the door to unprecedented economic and diplomatic ties, reshaping regional dynamics. Shortly afterward, Sudan and Morocco also joined the agreement.

President Trump says it is his "fervent hope, wish, and even my dream" that Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords. pic.twitter.com/FWk5H1aw2n

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Trump noted that the Biden administration failed to expand the Abraham Accords.

“The Biden administration did nothing for four years,” he said. “We would have had it filled out.”

Trump has sought to expand the agreement to include Saudi Arabia, but the ongoing war in Israel has complicated those efforts. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stated that it will not normalize relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is established. Support for a Palestinian state dwindled among former supporters of a two-state solution following Hamas’s brutal massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7, 2025.

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“It will be a special day in the Middle East with the whole world watching when Saudi Arabia joins us,” he said. “And you’ll be greatly honoring me, and you’ll be greatly honoring all of those people that have fought so hard for the Middle East, and I really think it’s going to be something special.”

Trump added that Saudi Arabia will join in their own time.

“That’s what I want, and that’s what you want, and that’s the way it’s going to be,” he said.

When forging the Abraham Accords, the Trump administration departed from conventional thinking, which held that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needed to be resolved before the Jewish state could expand relations with its Arab neighbors. Instead, economic benefits were highlighted as the major incentive.

“I took a risk in doing them, and they’ve been an absolute bonanza for the countries that have joined,” Trump said.

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The Abraham Accords have proven economically beneficial for participating countries. Trade between Israel and the UAE reached $3.24 billion in 2024, a 10% increase from 2023, according to the Abraham Accords Peace Institute.

Trade between Israel and Bahrain reached $108.5 million in 2024, an 843% increase from 2023. Meanwhile, trade between Israel and Morocco reached $109.9 million in 2024, a 40% increase from the previous year.

Speaking about the Israeli-Gaza war, Trump said he has been working “tirelessly” to free the hostages in Gaza, including securing the release of the last living American citizen held hostage, Edan Alexander, on Monday.

“This weekend, we successfully negotiated the release of the last American hostage,” he said. “Edan Alexander just came out a few hours ago, and we continue to work to get that war ended as quickly as possible.”

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Trump added that “all civilized people must condemn the October 7th atrocity against Israel” and that he believes the people of Gaza deserve better than Hamas as their rulers.

“The people of Gaza deserve a much better future, but that can not occur as long as their leaders choose to kidnap, torture and target innocent men, women and children for political ends,” he said.

The remarks followed the announcement of the United States and Saudi Arabia signing a $142 billion defense sales deal which the White House says is the largest in history.

“Underscoring our commitment to strengthening our defense and security partnership, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defense sales agreement in history—nearly $142 billion,” the White House said.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The deal is part of Saudi Arabia’s larger $600 billion investment commitment for the United States, which was also announced on Tuesday.

According to the White House, the defense sales will fall into five categories: air force advancement and space capabilities; air and missile defense; maritime and coastal security; border security and land forces modernization; and information and communication systems upgrades.

The package will also include “extensive training and support to build the capacity of the Saudi armed forces, including enhancement of Saudi service academies and military medical services.”

“This deal represents a significant investment in Saudi Arabia’s defense and regional security, built on American systems and training,” The White House added.