United States President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the first leg of a Gulf tour that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. His focus is on securing business deals, though reaching agreements on the Middle East’s major issues will likely be challenging.
This trip marks the US president’s first significant overseas visit of his second term, with the White House stating he looked forward to a “historic return” to the region.
Eight years ago, Trump also chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas trip as president, where he famously posed with a glowing orb and participated in a sword dance.
His decision to once again bypass traditional Western allies to travel to the oil-rich Gulf states highlights their increasingly crucial geopolitical role, along with his own business relations in the region.
Saudi fighter jets escorted Air Force One as Trump landed in the capital Riyadh. The Saudi royal family has planned a lavish welcome for the 78-year-old billionaire, who will also address an investment forum.
Trump will participate in a summit of Gulf Arab leaders on Tuesday before heading to Qatar.
In the days leading up to the trip, the White House played a pivotal role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and holding another round of nuclear talks with Iran.
‘Deals’
However, the primary focus during the Gulf tour will likely be on finalizing business agreements.
“White House sources have indicated that the president will focus on ‘deals’,” wrote Daniel B. Shapiro, a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump will promote a vision where “extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges.”
The Gulf states have positioned themselves as key diplomatic partners during Trump’s second term.
Saudi Arabia has facilitated talks on the war in Ukraine.
Talks of returning to the kingdom have circulated for months, with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledging to invest $600 billion in US trade and investments.
“I’ll be asking the crown prince, who’s a fantastic guy, to round it out to around one trillion. I think they’ll do that because we’ve been very good to them,” Trump said in response to the offer.
According to a Saudi official close to the defense ministry, Riyadh will push for securing the latest US F-35 fighter jets along with state-of-the-art air defense systems worth billions of dollars.
“We will condition that the deliveries take place during Trump’s term,” the source told AFP.
Temporary ‘Gift’
On the ground in Saudi Arabia, residents expressed mixed feelings about the trip’s potential impact.
“I expect that this visit will result in political decisions that will matter to the whole region,” Khalifa Oneizi, a 47-year-old Riyadh resident, told AFP.
Others were less optimistic.
“I am not optimistic about this visit or its results,” said Hamad Shahrani, a 62-year-old Saudi national.
Meanwhile, Iran is likely to be a prominent topic during the visit, following a fourth round of talks in Oman over the weekend.
Controversy is also surrounding the president’s plans to accept a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One.
Late Sunday, Trump defended himself amid criticism, stating the plane was a temporary “gift.”
He later called the deal “a very public and transparent transaction,” and on Monday, before leaving Washington for his trip, said: “I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”
