United States President George W. Bush said on Saturday he remained confident a deal on Palestinian statehood could be achieved before he leaves office. Speaking in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the final stop of his Middle East tour, he also sought to ease Arab doubts about his commitment to even-handed peacemaking. Bush met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Saturday, but still faces growing scepticism over his chances of securing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinians were dismayed that Bush, in his speech to Israel's parliament on Thursday, made only one reference to a Palestinian state; and did not use the occasion to press Israelis to make compromises, AP reported.