- US President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia, in what will be the first stop of a three-day tour that will also see him visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, has greeted Trump upon arrival in Riyadh.
- The White House says Trump is making a “historic return to the Middle East”, the first official state visit of his second presidency, where he will concentrate on “strengthening ties“.
- Trump is expected to focus on securing major financial investments for the United States and making diplomatic inroads on regional issues, including a Gaza ceasefire and Saudi Arabia-Israel normalisation talks.
- In Saudi Arabia, his first stop, Trump is hoping to secure a $1 trillion investment in US industry from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, upping the crown prince’s earlier investment pledge of $600bn.
Gulf leaders likely to drive home message that ‘Arab world does not take Gaza lightly’
Trump’s trip to the Gulf is likely to show him that “the Arab world does not take Gaza lightly” and push him to explore alternative ways to end the 19-month war, says Sultan Barakat, senior professor in public policy at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Working with Arab states on Gaza could not only help end the bloodshed, but bring “massive economic benefits” that appeal to Trump, according to Barakat.
If Trump wants to be a peacemaker, he says, “this is one of the issues he’s got to tackle”.
“He cannot continue talking about being the dealmaker, the peacemaker in the world with the blood in Gaza continuing to spill.”
Saudi Arabia’s finance minister Al-Jadaan touts economic progress
Saudi Arabian Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan has touted the kingdom’s economic progress in recent years on the back of structural reforms.
Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment Forum as Trump began his tour of the Middle East, al-Jadaan pointed to improvements across a range of metrics, including raising private investment as a percentage of gross domestic product from 16 percent to 32 percent, and lifting women’s employment rate from 17 percent to 36 percent.
“Saudi Arabia currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the country’s history with about 3.5 percent, and among the nationals the kingdom achieved its target for Vision 2030 with the rate being 7 percent,” al-Jadaan said at the event.
Where have US presidents gone for their first foreign trip?
As in his first term, Trump is choosing Saudi Arabia for his first foreign visit as president.
Check out our infographic below to see where each US president since Theodore Roosevelt has gone on their first overseas trip:
Eric Trump says Gulf leaders have ‘true friend’ in White House
The US president’s son, who serves as vice-president of the Trump Organization, has spoken to Saudi Arabia’s Asharq al-Awsat newspaper about his father’s trip to the Gulf, which he says delivers a “clear message” that the region is a “key partner in global security”.
“The era of peace will return, and the commander-in-chief of the US armed forces will be in Washington to help safeguard the Gulf’s security and stand by its people – because he knows them well and believes in the importance of their friendship,” said Eric Trump.
He added that his father has “exceptional relationships” with leaders in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar – all stops on his ongoing Gulf tour.
“I know some of these leaders personally, and I’m fully aware that the president trusts, respects and considers them true friends,” Eric Trump said.
Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE and Qatar are all sites where the Trump Organization is developing major real estate projects. They include a high-rise tower in Jeddah, a luxury hotel in Dubai and a golf course and villa complex in Qatar.
White House posts video of Saudi fighter jets escorting Air Force One
The White House has shared a video of Saudi F-15 fighter jets providing an “honorary escort” to Air Force One before Trump’s arrival.
Margo Martin, special assistant to the president and communications adviser, posted the footage on X.
Elon Musk greets Trump and MBS
One by one, the Saudi dignitaries and officials have lined up to greet Trump.
This is followed by the US officials and business leaders also doing the same with MBS.
There’s usually a brief exchange between them – except when it’s billionaire Elon Musk’s turn, who spends slightly more time speaking to the two leaders, in an encounter full of smiles, handshakes and nods of appreciation.
Saudi Arabia, US both understand gepolitical ‘challenges are massive’
The Royal Court is where Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed are expected to finalise some of their major agreements, to be announced later today.
Topping the agenda of course is the trade agreement. Crown Prince Mohammed has said in the past that his country is going to invest $600bn in the US. Trump wants Saudi Arabia to invest $1 trillion. I think they are trying to work out the details of how much Saudi Arabia is going to commit.
They will then attend a gathering of Saudi and US investors later in the day. This is where we’re expecting Trump to address the media.
Of course politics is also going to be on the agenda. Saudi officials are going to talk about Gaza, stability and peace in the Middle East, as well as Syria.
The challenges are massive and both the US and Saudi Arabia understand that to be able to move forward they have to have a united front. This explains why they are inviting GCC leaders to join talks tomorrow.
Trump ‘loves this sort of pomp’
We know that. We know that it’s one of the ways leaders in the past, in his first term, wooed him.
He went for a state visit to the United Kingdom with the late queen there. French President Emmanuel Macron invited him to Bastille Day. He loves these sorts of events.
He will have loved arriving, as it happened moments ago, in the car known as “The Beast”, surrounded by Saudi outriders on horseback accompanying him there.
And I think he also likes this region because it fits the Donald Trump world view: It’s big and it’s bold, and it’s about business and that business is things like energy and property.
And for the New York real estate developer, this is a place, I think, that he feels comfortable. We know that he knows the Saudi crown prince from his first term. They apparently get on well.
Smiles all around
As tea is being served, it’s fair to say that Trump is really enjoying all the pomp and ceremony.
The US president is chatting with the Saudi crown prince – there’s smiles all around.
Saudi crown prince, US president enter palace
MBS and Trump have made their way into the palace, talking to each other cordially as they enter a large hall.
Officials from both countries are standing up as the two leaders cross the vast room and take their seats in the chandelier-illuminated space.
Welcoming ceremony begins
Trump has been welcomed at the Royal Court by MBS.
The official ceremony starts with an orchestra playing the US national anthem live.
Trump arrives at Royal Court
The vehicle carrying the US president has made its way to the Royal Court in Riyadh.
It is flanked by horse riders dressed in traditional white who carry Saudi and US flags.
Trump is expected to attend a lunchtime meeting and hold further talks.
US Treasury Secretary says he expects Trump tax plan to pass by summer
Speaking at the Saudi-US Investment Forum as Trump kicked off his Middle East tour, Scott Bessent said he expects the US Congress to pass a bill to make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent by the summer.
Bessent said the legislation would also add “more features very friendly to capital”, including a provision to allow businesses to deduct the full cost of their capital investments.
“We will no longer be talking about tax cuts – once this bill becomes permanent, this will be the law of the land for the US, and there will be great certainty on the tax side,” Bessent said.
Saudi-US investment conference under way
The Saudi-US Investment Forum has kicked off today in Riyadh with the participation of dignitaries, officials and businesspeople from both countries.
As we’ve been reporting, MBS and Trump are due to participate in the conference later today.
“When Saudis and Americans join forces, very good things happen – more often than not, great things happen,” Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih said, praising the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
More on Trump’s schedule today
As we reported earlier, Trump and MBS sat together in a grand hall at Riyadh airport shortly after the US president’s arrival.
According to NBC News, Trump is expected to head to the Saudi Royal Court for an official welcome ceremony and a coffee reception. This will be followed by a lunch with business leaders, formal US-Saudi meetings, and a planned signing ceremony, reports the US outlet.
‘Real win’ for Trump is ‘getting Iran in line’ and Israel-Arab deal
We’ve spoken to Sultan Barakat, a professor in public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar, about Trump’s visit to the region.
Here’s what he said: “I think the real win is getting Iran in line and getting Turkiye to recognise that the sovereignty of Syria is important and there should be a limit to the Turkish ambition in the region, and, of course, ultimately, in getting the Israelis and the Arabs to reach a deal.
“And on that, of course, he is probably closer to the European side, which is willing to recognise the state of Palestine, than he is to Netanyahu.
“And over the last few weeks, we have seen a lot of tension developing between him and Netanyahu. I think it’s largely to do with the Americans being very keen to prepare for the visit to make the least possible, if you like, dark clouds hanging over Trump during this visit.”
US, Saudi Arabia could reach deal on ‘nuclear question’
We’ve spoken to Aziz Alghashian, a senior fellow at the Gulf International Forum, about the possible outcomes of Trump’s visit.
While he does not foresee a full defence treaty, which would require broad US Senate approval, he expects a security agreement aimed at “protecting” the negotiation progress made under the Biden administration, potentially laying the groundwork for a future formal pact.
Alghashian also said he anticipates a deal “on the nuclear question” as Riyadh seeks a civilian nuclear programme.
He added that a Trump-led administration increases the likelihood of deeper US-Saudi cooperation, as he believes it is not conditioning progress on Saudi normalisation with Israel. “The Saudis are getting what they want from the US without needing to recognise Israel or enter into discussions”, for which the conditions are not yet ripe, Alghashian said.
For Trump, visit can only be ‘win-win’
For Trump, this trip can only be a win-win situation because he’s already got sewn up the financial side of it. He knows he’s going to do lots of big deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
He can come back with that and say, “Look at the success I’ve got my big sharpie pen, I’ve signed all these deals, and look at all the money I’ve made for the US.”
But also, he’s got all these diplomatic balls in the air right now. So we’re talking about Gaza, we’re talking about the Iran talks, we’re talking about Russia-Ukraine.
Now this region has become the centre of diplomacy for all of those things, and I think he’s hoping that he can go further than just those trade deals, that he can get some progress on some of those.
‘Extremely busy schedule’ for Trump, MBS
Trump and Crown Prince MBS are set for a packed schedule today and tomorrow, holding talks on investments and regional security issues ranging from Syria and Gaza to Iran.
Some meetings – particularly on Syria, where Riyadh is pushing Washington to ease sanctions – are expected to take place today before an official dinner, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Riyadh, said.
The pace continues tomorrow, with Trump scheduled to meet GCC leaders and broaden discussions on key regional concerns, including Gaza, he added.
Stay with us for updates throughout the day.
How much are US-Saudi investments worth?
According to the latest data from the US Department of Commerce, the total stock of US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia reached $11.3bn in 2023.
Conversely, Saudi Arabia’s FDI stock in the US stood at $9.6bn, mostly in transport, real estate, plastics, automotive, financial services and communications, according to the Commerce Department.
These figures are only FDI, not other investments, such as portfolio investments or short-term financial flows.
Investments, arms focus of Trump’s trip
The day is mainly going to be about trade agreements. It remains to be seen how much the Saudis are going to commit to spending, but we’re talking about potentially hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of arms. One of the agreements is going to be about missiles equipped for Saudi fighter jets.
Another major issue is going to be a security pact, which both the US and Saudi Arabia have been trying to work out. This was being worked on during the Biden administration, but it didn’t materialise.
Later in the day, we’re going to see a meeting with Trump and US investors. That’s when they’re going to announce some of the major agreements, particularly concerning artificial intelligence technology and arms.
But the highlight is going to be tomorrow when the Saudis are going to invite Gulf Cooperation Council leaders to meet Trump. I’ve been in touch with a senior official in Damascus who confirmed to me that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is also going to travel to Riyadh tomorrow, which would be quite a significant development. It could be an indication that the Saudis are trying to push for US recognition of the new authority in Syria.
Trump speaks to MBS
The US president is currently exchanging words with Prince Mohammed inside a large hall at the airport.
Trump is seated next to the Saudi crown prince, surrounded by officials, including US Secretary Marco Rubio to Trump’s left.
Photos: Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia
MBS greets Trump
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has welcomed Trump at the tarmac of the airport in Riyadh.
The two men are walking down a purple carpet in the presence of dignitaries and security officials.
Don’t expect ‘breakthrough’ on Israel-Saudi normalisation during Trump trip: Analyst
It is exactly eight years “to the day” since Trump’s first visit to the kingdom, says Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the London-based think tank Chatham House.
But the US president is returning to “a very different Middle East”, writes Vakil, where Gulf leaders have “entered a new era of pragmatic diplomacy” and are asserting their autonomy and maturity in foreign relations.
And while the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE will seek to present as regional partners to the US, “hanging over all discussions” will be Israel’s war on Gaza, and significant progress on a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory seems unlikely as Israel presses ahead with its military objectives, Vakil said.
Therefore, a big diplomatic breakthrough should not be expected in terms of Israel and Saudi normalisation as Riyadh “cannot support any normalisation unless it is tied to a political horizon for Palestinian statehood”, she wrote.
The “trip will certainly showcase Trump’s desire to strike headline bilateral deals – and the Gulf states’ global, economic and regional ambitions. But it remains to be seen if such pageantry can deliver meaningful economic dividends and much-needed diplomatic progress,” she added.
Trump lands in Saudi Arabia
US President Donald Trump’s plane has touched down in Riyadh on the first stop of his Middle East trip.
Trump visit an acknowledgement of Saudi Arabia’s global role
Trump’s repeat decision to visit Saudi Arabia on his first overseas trip as president is a major acknowledgement of the country’s diplomatic clout, says Al Jazeera Correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra.
Trump chose the kingdom as his first foreign destination back in 2017, as well.
“From a Saudi perspective, the fact this is the second time Trump chooses Saudi Arabia for his first official overseas trip is an acknowledgement of Saudi Arabia’s ever-growing role, not only regionally but globally,” Ahelbarra said from Riyadh.
Trump will open his visit by meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before attending a business summit and meetings with other Gulf leaders.
Donald Trump hoping for ‘much more’ investment in defence spending by Saudi Arabia
We expect that this will once again, as we saw in Donald Trump’s first time, be a very lavish ceremony when the Saudi crown prince greets the US president at the airport in Riyadh.
This is going to be a visit about – according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt – strengthening ties between the United States and the Gulf kingdom.
We know this is a partnership that the US is hoping to deepen in terms of ties. The US is looking to strengthen investment that the Saudi kingdom makes in the US.
We know the crown prince is already pledging some $600bn in investments. But the US president is hoping to make that much more. In fact, he’s looking for 1 trillion dollars in defence spending from the kingdom.
So we expect this to be an extensive conversation in terms of what he [Donald Trump] hopes is that laundry list of spending.
Trump will be ‘quite surprised’ at modernity of Saudi Arabia, business lobby group head says
The head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmCham) has said Trump will likely be “quite surprised” at how much the kingdom has developed since his last visit in 2017.
“Saudi Arabia has blossomed and I think, also, the president and his entourage will be quite surprised at the modernity and the scale of growth that have occurred,” Liz Beneski, executive director of AmCham Saudi Arabia, said in an interview on state-owned Al Arabiya.
Trump focused on trade but crises following him on Middle East visit
As Trump set out on a visit to the Middle East focused on stirring up trillions in investment for the US, he also finds himself navigating a series of geopolitical crises from the war in Gaza to Iran’s nuclear programme to the India-Pakistan conflict, the AP reports.
According to the AP, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be looking to gauge how Trump intends to push ahead on resolving the war in Gaza, dealing with Iran’s rapidly progressing nuclear programme and addressing India-Pakistan tensions.
As he was preparing to leave Washington, Trump also said he was considering removing sanctions on the interim government of Syria, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December.
Syria is another key issue for the three Gulf leaders, who have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and will want Trump to follow through on lifting sanctions, the AP reports.
Trump is also arriving in the region after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held the fourth round of nuclear talks on Sunday in Oman with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
As the talks continue, the Trump administration has sent mixed messages about what nuclear work Iran would be allowed to do under any potential deal between Tehran and Washington.
$1 trillion: Trump’s goal for Saudi investment
Trump has repeatedly floated the enormous figure of $1 trillion as his goal for Saudi investment in the US.
In January, Trump said he would ask Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to invest $1 trillion in the US, after Saudi state media reported that the kingdom hoped to pour $600bn into the country over the next four years.
In March, Trump mentioned the $1 trillion figure again.
“Last time they put up $450bn,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“But this time they have gotten richer. We have all gotten older. So I said, ‘I will go if you pay $1 trillion to American companies over four years,’ and they agreed to do that.”
While Trump is expected to announce a range of investment deals in Saudi Arabia, it is unlikely that he will come away with $1 trillion in investments. Such a sum would be equivalent to the entire economy of Saudi Arabia, the GDP of which was $1.068 trillion in 2023, according to the World Bank.
‘Ultimate goal’ normalisation of ties with Israel, GOP congressman says
A Republican lawmaker has said the “ultimate goal” of Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia is the normalisation of ties with Israel.
Michael McCaul, who represents Texas’s 10th congressional district in the US House of Representatives, made his comments following reports that Trump had dropped his demand for Saudi recognition of Israel as a condition for a nuclear energy deal with the US.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, McCaul said Washington had been getting close to a deal on normalising ties until Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
“We cannot have normalisation until we have a ceasefire in Gaza, and I think that’s the more difficult piece here,” McCaul said.
Israeli ambassador to UN says Israel, US interests not always ‘aligned’
Asked by reporters about the US apparently sidelining Israel as Trump embarks on a visit to the Middle East without a stop in Israel, Ambassador Danny Danon said that while the two countries remain strong, longtime allies, there have been recent instances where the two countries’ interests have not been “aligned”.
The remarks were in response to an apparent rift between Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been increasingly bypassed in recent weeks as the US has proposed or brokered deals with several regional players, including Houthi rebels in Yemen and Iran, without consulting with Israel.
“We are partners and allies, but we are two independent countries,” Danon told reporters at the UN in New York, the Associated Press reports.
He said that while it is “legitimate for the US to do what they think is good for the US”, it is also “legitimate for Israel to take action on things that are necessary to protect Israel”.
If you’re just joining us
Here are the latest developments:
- US President Donald Trump is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia shortly, in what will be the first stop on a three-day tour that will also see him visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
- Trump will not be visiting Washington’s key ally, Israel, during his Middle East tour, a decision that has raised concerns in some circles about his commitment to the US-Israeli alliance.
- Al Jazeera’s correspondent Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Saudi Arabia, says that Trump will be greeted with an opulent welcome on arrival in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, later this morning.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud is scheduled to greet the US president on arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh at about 9:45am local time (06:45 GMT).
- Sami Al-Arian of Istanbul Zaim University said Trump hopes to cement commercial ties with the three countries and secure investments in the US of at least $2 trillion from all three countries.
- The White House Correspondents’ Association said in a statement that it was disturbed that news agencies – the Associated Press, Bloomberg and Reuters – were excluded from travelling with the president on Air Force One, which comes amid a dispute between the US administration and how news organisations refer to the Gulf of Mexico – renamed the “Gulf of America” by Trump.
Top business leaders to attend investment forum in Saudi Arabia
Coinciding with Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, a host of US business leaders are travelling to the country to attend the Saudi-US Investment Forum on Tuesday.
Confirmed guests at the forum include Tesla CEO and Trump adviser Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser.
While Trump is not confirmed to attend the event, his administration will be well represented, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House AI and crypto tsar David Sacks all booked to speak.
Trump visit aims to ‘cement’ security relationship with commercial deals: Analyst
Sami Al-Arian, director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at Istanbul Zaim University, spoke to Al Jazeera earlier about Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
Here’s more from that interview:
“Right now, he is concentrating on commercial deals. He’s hoping that it’s going to buy American products. He’s going to sell American arms. But most importantly, they are going to have a strategic relationship,” Al-Arian told Al Jazeera
“Let’s remember that the United States has the largest air force base outside the United States in Qatar; the largest naval base in Bahrain. It has a deep relationship –militarily, strategically, commercially, economically, security-wise – with all the countries in the Gulf area. It has over four dozen airbases in this region,” he said.
“Therefore, having Trump coming to visit them with these commercial deals cements the relationship between these countries and the United States.”
Belén Fernández: Is Trump abandoning Israel? Not really
While some of the Trump administration’s recent moves have prompted concern in Israel about the US president’s commitment to the US-Israeli alliance, Al Jazeera columnist Belén Fernández argues that any daylight between the sides is motivated purely by Trump’s own business interests.
“The issue, of course, is not that Trump cares if Palestinian children and adults continue to be massacred and starved to death while Israel takes its sweet time ‘finishing the job’,” Fernández writes in her latest column.
“Rather, the ongoing genocide is simply hampering his vision of the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ that will supposedly spring forth from the ruins of Gaza, the creation of which he has outlined as follows: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it.”
“So while war may be good for business – just ask the arms industry – it seems that too much war can ultimately be a counterproductive investment, at least from a Trumpian real estate perspective,” Fernández writes.
Read more here.
Trump ‘hoping to come back with’ at least $2tn from three-country Gulf trip: Analyst
Sami Al-Arian, the director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at Istanbul Zaim University, told Al Jazeera earlier that Trump has been very vocal about his objective in visiting the three Gulf states: investments.
“He’s trying to get trillions of dollars out of these countries,” Al-Arian told Al Jazeera.
“He’s already said that he’s hoping to get 1 trillion dollars from Saudi Arabia in terms of arms sales and commercial deals,” Al-Arian said.
“The United Arab Emirates already announced that they are going to purchase and invest in the American economy, 1.4 trillion dollars over 10 years, and Qatar also said it is going to do something similar to that effect – hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in America,” he said.
“So he’s hoping to come back with at least 2 trillion dollars from these three countries.”
Trump faces scrutiny over family’s business ties in Middle East
The Trump family’s extensive business ties in the Middle East are attracting scrutiny from critics concerned about conflicts of interest.
The Trump family has business interests in all three of the countries – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE – which the US president is visiting on his first tour of the Middle East since returning to the White House.
Zach Witkoff, the cofounder of Trump’s crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, said last week that the Abu Dhabi-backed MGX was planning to use World Liberty Financial’s so-called “stablecoin” to complete an $2bn investment transaction in the crypto exchange Binance.
Last month, Trump’s second son, Eric, sealed a deal to develop a $5.5bn golf club in Qatar, while the Trump Organisation also has at least three projects, including residential developments and a golf course, under way in Saudi Arabia.
Asked if Trump planned to meet with any figures involved in the deals during his trip, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shot down the suggestion that the president would act for his own benefit as “frankly ridiculous”.
“He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service. Not just once, but twice,” Leavitt told reporters.
“The American public re-elected him back to this White House because they trust he acts in the best interests of our country and [is] putting the American public first.”
Trump trip to Middle East skips Israel as no progress in Gaza ceasefire
Trump trip to Middle East skips Israel as no progress in Gaza ceasefire
One place we know that Donald Trump will not be visiting on this tour is Israel.
That is because of the ongoing conflict with Israel’s war on Gaza.
The White House is saying that there has not been any progress when it comes to ceasefire talks there.
Given there has been no progress on those talks, there will also be no furthering of something that Donald Trump has been pressing for – but [which has] so far has eluded the president – and that is the furthering of the Abraham Accords, or the normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Because we know that with the ongoing conflict in Gaza, there is no [possibility of the] creation of a Palestinian state, which is something that Saudi Arabia is demanding.
Trump skips Israel amid concerns over US-Israeli alliance
Trump’s decision not to include Israel on his Middle East tour follows a series of moves that have raised concerns in some circles about his commitment to the US-Israeli alliance.
The Trump administration negotiated the release of Hamas’s US-Israeli captive Edan Alexander on Sunday without Israel’s involvement, and reportedly did not give Israeli officials advance notice of its decision last week to halt its bombing campaign against the Houthis.
Writing in the Israeli news outlets Ynet last week, diplomatic correspondent Itamar Eichner said the Israeli government’s frustration with Trump was “increasingly hard to conceal”.
“When Trump decided to halt attacks on the Houthis, Israel wasn’t even updated – it found out from the news,” Eichner wrote. “That move, many felt, went too far. The message to the region was clear: Israel is no longer a top US priority.”
Trump administration officials have dismissed suggestions of a rift between the sides.
“What he’s doing is not because he’s snubbing Israel,” US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12.
“There are 200 nations in the world, almost, so there are a lot of them he hasn’t gone to yet, a lot of them he isn’t going to right away – he’s spent more time with the prime minister of Israel than he has with any other world leader,” Huckabee said.
‘Opulent arrival’ ceremony expected for Trump in Saudi Arabia
Donald Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the first of three Middle East nations he’ll be visiting this week.
He hopes to acquire 1 trillion dollars in investment from the Saudis.
The Saudi Crown Prince is hoping that he can get cooperation for one of his many multibillion-dollar mega-projects.
We are expecting Donald Trump, just as he did in his first term in 2017 when he visited the kingdom, to participate in a very opulent arrival and welcoming ceremony.
Then we know that he will get down to business.
We also know that the kingdom has begun to play a much larger role when it comes to the global stage, resolving global conflicts – most recently, hosting the talks to try and resolve the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
We expect to see more of those types of discussions moving forward.
Israel says to delay new military operation in Gaza until after Trump visit
Israel will not launch a planned major offensive in Gaza until after US President Trump’s visit to the Middle East, according to reports.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon confirmed to reporters on Monday that Israel will delay its operation in Gaza for a few days.
“Israel is preparing a major operation in Gaza, we are not hiding it,” Danon said.
“We have called up the reserves, and we have the troops ready. And if there will be no development in the negotiations, we will apply pressure, military pressure, in order to make sure that we bring back the hostages and then eliminate Hamas,” Danon said.
As Trump was preparing to depart for Saudi Arabia, the last living US captive in Gaza, Edan Alexander, was released by Hamas in what was framed as a goodwill gesture towards Trump by the Palestinian group.
“This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators – Qatar and Egypt – to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones,” Trump posted on social media.
“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.”
Trump says use of jet ‘a great gesture’ from Qatar
Trump has defended plans to accept a $400m jet from Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One amid criticism over the ethics and security implications of the offer.
“I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday.
“I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive aeroplane.’ But I thought it was a great gesture.”
Qatar’s government has confirmed that the transfer of the jet is under consideration, but has described reports that the plane will be given as a gift during Trump’s visit as “inaccurate”.
“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attache to the US, said in a statement.
Democrats have criticised the proposal as a conflict of interest and a potential threat to national security, with a number of top Senators pushing for a vote to censure Trump’s plan.
News agency reporters excluded from Air Force One for Trump trip
A group representing journalists covering the White House said it was disturbed that the Trump administration barred news agency reporters from travelling with Trump on Air Force One, the Associated Press reports.
No reporter from the AP, Bloomberg or Reuters was on Air Force One, where presidents often take questions from travelling members of the press, as it took off for the Middle East on Monday.
“This change is a disservice to every American who deserves to know what their highest elected leader is up to, as quickly as possible,” the White House Correspondents’ Association said in a statement.
“Their reports are distributed quickly to thousands of news outlets and millions of readers throughout the world every day, so all have equal access to coverage of the presidency,” it said.
The Trump administration has been fighting in court with the AP after the news service was blocked from covering smaller “pool” events at the Oval Office when it decided not to change the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America”, as Trump had called for in an executive order.
In response to a ruling in that case, the White House has instituted a new media policy that lumps news agencies in with print reporters in a rotation for space on Air Force One or Oval Office events.
Trump’s route to the Middle East
Trump took off on board Air Force One from a military base outside of Washington, DC, at 11:39am local time [15:39 GMT] on Monday.
His plane will make a refuelling stop at a military base in the UK before an expected arrival time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday morning at 9:45am local time [06:45 GMT].
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud is scheduled to greet the US president on arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Trump will return to the US at the end of the week after visiting Qatar and the UAE.
Trump may announce ‘Persian Gulf’ name change
Among the potential items on Trump’s agenda is the name of the “Persian Gulf”, the waterway bordering seven Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Speaking to reporters at the White House last week, Trump said he was planning to make a decision on how the US refers to the “Persian Gulf” during his Middle East visit. Trump made his comments after US media reported that he would use the trip to announce that the US would begin referring to the waterway as the “Arabian Gulf” or the “Gulf of Arabia”, a move that would likely anger Iran.
The name of the Gulf has long been a source of tensions between Arab nations and Iran.
Iran argues that “Persian Gulf” is the correct name in light of historical evidence that shows it is part of its territory, while Arab states use the term “Arabian Gulf” or “The Gulf”.
US announces $1.4bn weapons sale to UAE ahead of visit
The US has approved the sale of $1.4bn worth of weapons and equipment to the UAE ahead of Trump’s visit.
The proposed sale includes the transfer of six CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters and various military equipment, including missile warning, navigation and communications systems.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important regional partner,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Monday.
“The United Arab Emirates is a vital U.S. partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. The proposed sale will improve the United Arab Emirates’ capability to meet current and future threats by extending its range of flight operations. The UAE will use these assets in search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian support, and counterterrorism operations,” it said.
The US defence agency added that the sale would not alter the military balance in the region or negatively affect US defence readiness.
A recap of Trump’s Middle East visit
Here’s what you need to know:
- President Trump has departed the United States en route to the Middle East for a three-day visit that starts in Saudi Arabia later today. Trump will then visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
- Donald Trump will focus on securing increased investment in the US from the three wealthy Gulf states during his visit, while also tackling thorny diplomatic issues, including a ceasefire in Gaza and stalled normalisation talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
- The White House has described the trip – the first official state visit of Trump’s second presidency – as “historic”. Saudi Arabia was also the first stop during Trump’s first term, breaking a tradition of new US presidents starting state visits with the United Kingdom, Canada or Mexico.
- In Saudi Arabia, Trump is hoping to secure a $1 trillion investment from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in US industries, upping the crown prince’s earlier investment pledge of $600bn.
- During the visit, Saudi Arabia is expected to announce more than $100bn in purchases of US arms, including missiles, radar systems and transport aircraft.
- Talks may also focus on reviving a scaled-down US-Saudi Arabia defence pact.
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