The Trump administration is clearing a path for two key Persian Gulf allies to pursue their artificial intelligence ambitions — and some of the biggest US tech companies are seizing on that opening with plans to spend billions of dollars in the region.

Amazon, Google, and Nvidia are among those who struck deals during Trump's visit to the Middle East, his first major overseas trip of his second term.

A previous arms deal agreed during Trump’s first term in 2017 between Saudi Arabia and the also promised a big headline figure. At the time, the White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the deal included "an immediate $110 billion investment" which would "grow to $350 billion over the next 10 years".

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria's president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and urged him to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel after a surprise U.S. announcement that it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government.