Photos: Qatar prepares for Trump’s arrival later today

At forum, Trump criticised past US presidents for judging foreign leaders

During his speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum on Tuesday, Trump took a swipe at past US presidents for using US policy to punish foreign leaders for their “sins”.

“In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it’s our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins,” Trump said.

“I believe it is God’s job to sit in judgement – my job to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity, and peace,” Trump added.

What we know about Trump’s schedule on day two of Middle East visit

The US President is expected the visit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh at 9:30 am local time [06:30 GMT] this morning before attending a session of the Gulf Cooperation Council between 10:15 and 11:30 am [07:15 to 08:30 GMT].

At 12 noon [09:00 GMT], Trump will travel to the airport and depart Saudi Arabia for Qatar where he is expected to land at Doha’s Hamad International Airport at 1:30 pm [10:30 GMT] and where he is scheduled to be greeted by the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The US President will then visit Amiri Diwan, the administrative offices of the emir, for an official welcoming ceremony and a state dinner will be held later this evening at Lusail Palace.

If you’re just joining us

Here are the latest developments:

• US President Donald Trump is starting the second day of his four-day visit to the Middle East, after arriving in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, where he signed a plethora of deals and agreements with the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
• The White House described a $142bn defence sales agreement – part of a Saudi Arabian commitment to invest $600bn in the US – as the first of its kind.
• Trump surprised many by announcing that he was removing US sanctions on Syria in order, he said, to give the country “a chance at greatness”.
• Crowds of people gathered in the Syrian capital, Damascus, to celebrate after the news that US sanctions will be lifted.
• There are reports that Trump might briefly meet Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting that the US president will attend later this morning in Riyadh.
• After the GCC meeting with leaders and representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, Trump will depart today for the Qatari capital, Doha, on the second leg of his three-country tour.

Musk shares thoughts on tech advances including humanoid robots

Among the highest-profile business leaders to appear at the Saudi-US Investment Forum on Tuesday was Elon Musk.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Trump’s cost-cutting tsar, shared his thoughts on the potential of emerging technologies, including humanoid robots.

“Once you have humanoid robots, the actual economic output potential is tremendous. It is really unlimited,” he told the audience. “Potentially, we could have an economy 10 times the size of the current global economy where no one wants for anything.”

Musk also announced that Riyadh had approved his satellite internet service, Starlink, and expressed his wish to see robo-taxis operate in the country.

“I think it would be very exciting to have autonomous vehicles here in the kingdom,” he said.

White House posts photo of Trump and MBS in golf cart

The White House has posted another picture of Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on social media, this time showing MBS driving Trump to dinner in a golf cart on Tuesday evening.

“A great day in Saudi Arabia!!!” the White House posted on X, quoting Trump.

Trump announces surprise end to Syria sanctions

President Trump dropped some unexpected news about Syria on the first day of his three-country tour of the Middle East.

At the end of a speech to business leaders and government officials in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, Trump said he would be “ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness”.

Trump’s announcement reverses years of crippling sanctions on the war-torn country and marked a sudden departure from a visit focused primarily on US-Saudi investments.

US State Secretary Rubio to leave Middle East trip for Ukraine talks in Turkiye

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is accompanying Trump on his Middle East trip, will travel to Turkiye for a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Talks are being held in Turkey later this week, probably on Thursday, and they could be some pretty good results,” Trump said in a speech in Riyadh, adding, “Marco is going to be going there.”

A State Department official said that Rubio will hold talks on Thursday in the Turkish resort city of Antalya at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, and is expected to travel to Istanbul on Friday.

According to the White House, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will accompany Rubio.

Putin has not yet said whether he will be at the talks.

Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he will be in Ankara on Thursday to conduct the negotiations and will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said the two would wait for Putin to arrive.

If Putin chooses Istanbul to hold the meeting, then both leaders will travel there from Ankara, he said.

Mobile McDonald’s in Riyadh draws eyeballs

Amid the deal-making and diplomatic discussions in Riyadh, the presence of a mobile McDonald’s outlet outside the media hub yesterday garnered a flurry of attention on social media.

Some commentators speculated that the fast-food truck had been rolled out in Trump’s honour.

Trump is well known for his love of McDonald’s, and requested the fast-food following his COVID-19 diagnosis and recovery in 2020, according to Jared Kushner, his son-in-law.

US tech firms among winners of Trump’s Saudi visit

US tech giants secured a plethora of business deals on Trump’s visit to Riyadh.

Nvidia announced that it would ship 18,000 cutting-edge Blackwell chips to Saudi Arabia to power a 500 megawatt data centre being developed in the kingdom in partnership with Saudi startup Humain.

Qualcomm also announced an agreement with Humain, which the San Diego-based firm said will involve “strategic collaboration for the development of next-generation AI data centers, infrastructure and cloud-to-edge services”.

Meanwhile, Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD and Uber committed to investing $80bn in “cutting-edge transformative technologies” in the US and Saudi Arabia, according to a White House fact sheet.

Trump set to meet Syrian leader, Gulf Cooperation Council before heading to Qatar

The US president is expected to meet Syria’s new leader and the heads of the Gulf states later today in Riyadh before travelling to Qatar.

According to reports, Trump is set to “say hello” to Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in a brief meeting that comes a day after the US president said that he would lift sanctions that had been placed primarily on the Syrian regime of now toppled President Bashar al-Assad.

Later this morning, Trump will meet with leaders and representatives from the six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

He will then depart Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, for the Qatari capital, Doha.

On arrival in Doha, Trump is expected to visit the Amiri Diwan government offices and the Lusail Palace where a state dinner will be held.

On Thursday, he will fly to the UAE.

Trump to lift sanctions on Syria

US President Donald Trump has told business leaders and Saudi Arabian government officials that he will lift US sanctions on Syria.

Trump, who is not stopping in Israel on this trip, also told leaders in Riyadh that the situation in Gaza must change.

Some Republicans raise concerns over Trump’s plan to accept jet from Qatar

While Democrats have widely condemned Trump’s plans to accept a jet from Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One, several prominent Republicans have also raised concerns.

“… if and when it is no longer a hypothetical, I can assure you there will be plenty of scrutiny of whatever that arrangement might look like,” Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Tuesday.

“There’ll be plenty of scrutiny. There are lots and lots of issues around that, that I think will attract very serious questions.”

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz also expressed concerns about the proposal, saying he was “not a fan of Qatar”.

“I also think the plane poses significant espionage and surveillance problems, so we’ll see how this issue plays out, but I certainly have concerns,” Cruz said in an interview with CNBC.

Trump tries to push Saudi Arabia’s investment pledges up to $1tn

The US president is trying to get $1 trillion in investments to create jobs in the United States and also to see that free flow of investments between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

The crown prince said he was more likely to spend about $600bn on investing in US defence. But already, we’ve seen that number moving upwards.

We know already that there has been an investment in artificial intelligence, something that Saudi Arabia is already very big in. We’ve heard that there will be autonomous vehicles driving in Saudi Arabia as early as 2025 – this year, the CEO of Uber made that announcement.

We also know that there is a $2bn investment in infrastructure here in Saudi Arabia with US firms.

And we also know that there has been a purchase of US technology of more than $142bn when it comes to a defence partnership.

So that dollar figure is continuing to move up.

White House posts photo with Trump, Musk and Saudi’s MBS

The White House has posted a photo of Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday.

Musk is among several top business leaders who travelled to Riyadh to attend the Saudi-US Investment Forum.

Syrians gather in Damascus to celebrate Trump’s lifting of ‘crippling’ sanctions

Syrians gather in Damascus to celebrate Trump’s lifting of ‘crippling’ sanctions

Another historic night in a country that has seen many in the last five months.

As soon as the news came out, people started to gather here in Umayyad Square. The lifting of the sanctions is a relief. The sanctions were brutal and crippling towards people. They decimated the economy. No money could get in. No money could get out.

Now things are going to be different, and that’s what these people are saying –that they are going to have a chance to get an economy, to get jobs, and this is welcome.

There are still issues to take into consideration. This isn’t going to happen overnight, but try telling the people here that. Today, they are very happy.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has issued the first official reaction, saying this is a chance to reset the relationship between America and Syria after years of war. They say this will be built on mutual self-respect and shared interests.

That idea of shared interests is a hope that American investments will come to Syria.

Trump defends plan to accept jet from Qatar

Trump has again defended his plans to accept Qatar’s offer of a Boeing 747 for temporary use instead of Air Force One.

Speaking in a Fox News interview, which was taped while he was en route to Saudi Arabia, Trump said Middle Eastern countries use much bigger and newer jets than the US for official business.

“You see Saudi Arabia, and you see UAE, and you see Qatar, and they have these brand new Boeing 747s mostly – and you see ours next to it. This is like a totally different plane. It’s much smaller. It’s much less impressive,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

“And you know, we’re the United States of America. I believe we should have the most impressive plane,” Trump said.

Trump said he viewed Qatar’s offer as a “beautiful gesture” and that it would be “stupid” to decline.

“My attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept the gift?”

Trump’s plan to accept the jet has been strongly criticised by Democrats, who have raised concerns about conflicts of interest and national security.

Photos: Celebrations in Damascus, Syria, after Trump says US sanctions to be lifted

Trump says ‘trying to open up’ China to US businesses

Trump has said his administration is aiming to “open up” China to US businesses following the sealing of an initial deal to lower tariffs between the sides.

“We’re trying to open up China because, as you know, many years ago, we opened up the USA. Now it’s time for China to open up,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, which aired on Tuesday night.

“That would be like opening up a whole new world, and I think it would be even better for China,” Trump added.

Trump also said he has “always had a good relationship with [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping]”.

Key takeaways from Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia

Here are the key takeaways of Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, which concludes later today when the US president will depart for Qatar.

• Trump announced that Saudi Arabia would invest $600bn in the US, including through the purchase of $142bn in weaponry, military equipment and training.
• Trump said the normalisation of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel was his “fervent hope and wish, even my dream”, but acknowledged that the kingdom would take the step in its “own time”.
• Trump appeared to offer an olive branch to Iran, saying he would be “very happy” if he could make a deal with the country. “We’re going to make your region and the world a safer place. But if Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbours, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure,” he said.

Business and defence deals top agenda as Trump lands in Riyadh

Beginning the first official state visit of his second term as US president, Donald Trump touched down on Tuesday in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, on the first stop of a three-country tour, which also includes Qatar and the UAE.

Saudi Arabia is of key diplomatic importance to the US, as the political dynamics have shifted in the region since Trump’s first term.

A key focus of Trump’s visit is also to secure investment in the US. He was accompanied on this trip by an entourage that included Elon Musk and other tech billionaires.

A recap of Trump’s Middle East visit

Here’s what you need to know:

• US President Donald Trump continues his three-country tour of the Middle East on Wednesday after landing on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, where he was greeted on arrival by the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
• Trump and MBS announced a range of agreements and strategic partnerships, including a US weapons deal worth $142bn, which was described as the largest ever of its kind by the White House.
• Speaking at a business forum in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, Trump announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria, which had been imposed primarily on the regime of toppled President Bashar al-Assad, saying he wanted to give the war-torn country “a chance at peace”.
• News of the US lifting sanctions was greeted with celebrations in Syria. The country’s Foreign Ministry hailed Trump’s announcement as a “turning point”, saying the move would allow Syria “to pursue stability, self-sufficiency, and meaningful national reconstruction”.
• Trump also addressed Iran in his speech, saying that Tehran should accept a deal that would limit its nuclear enrichment programme, while also warning that US talks on the matter “will not last forever”.
• Qatar’s offer of temporarily transferring a luxury aircraft to the US Department of Defense for Trump’s use as a replacement for his ageing Air Force One plane continued to cause controversy, with US Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer warning the gift could violate constitutional safeguards.
• Trump is due to fly to Qatar later on Wednesday after concluding his visit to Saudi Arabia. He will travel on to the UAE on Thursday, the last country on his Gulf state tour.

Welcome to our live coverage

Hello, and thank you for joining our live coverage of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East.

Stay with our live team as we bring you all the latest developments, analyses and reactions throughout the day.

• Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sign a $142bn (£107bn) defence agreement
• During a speech on stage in Riyadh, the US president calls the Saudi crown prince “an incredible man”, adding the US-Saudi bond is “more powerful than ever”
• He also announces he is lifting sanctions on Syria
• Trump is on the first leg of a major diplomatic four-day tour to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE
• Earlier, Trump was joined by Elon Musk and other business leaders at a lavish lunch in Riyadh
• Trump’s itinerary notably does not include Israel 

US-Saudi arms deal a measure of changing relationship

What the White House calls “the largest defence sales agreement in history” is also a measure of the changing relationship between Washington and Riyadh.

Weapons deals have long been part of this strategic partnership. But in 2021 the Biden’s administration stopped the sale of offensive weapons over Riyadh’s role in the destructive war unleashed in neighbouring Yemen.

This alliance had already been strained by the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi; a US intelligence report later found that the killing was approved by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which he denied.

Relations slowly improved even under President Biden who, as a presidential candidate in 2019, had vowed to turn the kingdom into a pariah state. The sale of offensive weapons was resumed last year.

And there was a push to finalise a defence pact which included a normalisation of relations between the kingdom and Israel.

That’s not on the agenda now as the Gaza war grinds on.

But today President Trump was overhead saying to the crown prince: “I really believe we like each other a lot.”

Five key takeaways from Trump’s speech in Riyadh

After speaking for almost an hour, Trump has now wrapped up his remarks – the first public comments we’ve heard from him since he arrived in Riyadh earlier today.

Here’s what he said:

• The US president announced he was removing sanctions from Syria, in order to give the country “a chance at greatness”
• He also said he wanted to strike a deal with Iran, but warned the country’s leaders that if they reject his “olive branch” he would “inflict massive, maximum pressure” and “drive” Tehran’s oil exports to zero
• Trump said he hoped Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords – the deals he brokered between Israel and other Gulf countries during his first administration
• The US and Saudi are taking steps today to make their relationship “more powerful than ever before”, Trump said, following the signing of a $142bn arms deal
• Addressing the Israel-Gaza war, he said the people of Gaza “deserve a much better future”, but added that cannot happen as long as their leaders “choose to kidnap, torture and target” innocent people

Trump pushes for ‘golden age of the Middle East’

“Together we have made unprecedented strides and tremendous progress,” Trump says, adding that “the dawn of the bright new day” awaits the people of the Middle East.

“For the first time in a thousand years the world will look at this region not as a place of turmoil, strife, war and death but as a land of opportunity and hope,” he continues.

Trump goes on to say that his administration has launched the “golden age of America” and, with the help of the people of the Middle East, the “golden age of Middle East can proceed right alongside us”.

“We will work together, we will succeed together, win together and we will always be friends,” he says.

Wrapping up his speech, Trump thanks Mohammed bin Salman – which receives a standing ovation – saying “we are with you all the way”.

The president shakes hands with the crown prince on stage as the song YMCA blares through the auditorium.

Trump says people of Gaza ‘deserve better future’

Continuing, Trump moves his focus to the Israel-Gaza war, and mentions the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander yesterday.

He says “all civilised people must condemn the October 7 atrocities against Israel”, claiming it would never had happened had he been president at the time.

“The people of Gaza deserve a much better future,” he says – a line which gets applause in the room.

But he adds that cannot occur “as long as their leaders choose to kidnap, torture and target innocent men, women and children for political ends”.

‘I will never hesitate to… defend our allies’, Trump says

Before that announcement was made, the US president was talking about the US’s defence capabilities.

He says his administration is in the process of getting a budget of $1tn (£0.75tn) approved, and that his country’s military is the most powerful it has ever been, and they are getting “the greatest missiles, the greatest weapons”.

“I will never hesitate to wield American power to defend the US or to help defend our allies,” he says, pointing to the Saudi crown prince.

Trump adds that the US has recently launched strikes on the Houthis, following attacks on American ships and navigation in the Red Sea.

“We hit them hard…then we got out”.

That speech has now finished, but we’ve still got a few more lines to catch you up on, so stick with us.

Trump says he will remove sanctions on Syria

Donald Trump announces that he’s removing sanctions from Syria, in order to give the country “a chance at greatness”.

We’ll bring you more on this shortly.

US ‘working relentlessly to end bloodshed in Ukraine’

On to the war in Ukraine, Trump says “young beautiful souls” are losing their lives.

He says his team have been “working relentlessly to end the bloodshed” and mentions that talks are being held in Turkey later this week “probably on Thursday”.

The president doesn’t confirm whether he’ll attend, despite being invited by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.

Again, Trump repeats his long-standing claim that neither the war in Ukraine, or Hamas’s 7 October attacks on Israel would have happened if he was president.

He then takes the opportunity to thank Saudi Arabia for facilitating talks on Ukraine.

“If we get that settled we’ll pay a special tribute to what you’ve done”, he says.

‘I want to make a deal with Iran’, Trump says

Trump begins criticising Iran, accusing it of trying to tear down the region and funding bloodshed abroad.

But, the president says, he is not here “merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran’s leaders”, but to offer them a “new path, and a much better path” towards a “more hopeful future”.

“I want to make a deal with Iran. If I can make a deal with Iran I will be very happy,” Trump says.

He says that if Iran’s leadership rejects this “olive branch” and “continues to attack their neighbours then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure”, and drive Iranian oil exports to zero.

President’s comments on accords met with conspicuous silence

Donald Trump speaks of his fervent hope that Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords, the deals he brokered between Israel and other Gulf countries during his first administration.

Before the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, Saudi Arabia seemed poised to join.

But that prospect has receded as a result of Israel’s assault on Gaza, with Saudi Arabia saying normalisation with Israel cannot happen unless the war ends and progress is made towards the establishment of the Palestinian state.

Trump did not directly address any of this, saying only that Saudi Arabia would “do it in your own time.”

In a speech peppered by applause, as Trump heaped praise on his hosts – and himself – this passage was met with conspicuous silence.

Trump’s ‘dream’ that Saudi Arabia signs the Abraham Accords

The US president continues to talk about a variety of topics – ranging from the football World Cup to Saudi Arabia’s skyscrapers.

He again spends a while praising Saudi leadership, before observing how “peace” is returning to the Gulf and praising the Abraham Accords, which were signed when he was last in office.

It’s his “dream”, Trump adds, that Saudi Arabia will become a signatory to the accords too.

The president then attacks his predecessor Joe Biden’s administration on his engagement with the accords, and suggests it “spurned” the US’s partnership with its Gulf partners.

Addressing the crown prince directly now, Trump says: “I like him a lot”, to applause.

“I like him too much, that’s why we give so much.”

‘You have done some job’ – Trump praises Saudi crown prince

Trump says that eight years ago he stood in the same room and looked forward to a future in which the region would drive the forces of terrorism and extremism “right out of existence”.

He compliments the crown prince, telling Mohammed bin Salman: “You have done some job”.

Over the past eight years Saudi Arabia has “proved the critics totally wrong”, he says.

President mentions arms deal with Saudi Arabia

The US president again mentions the agreement signed with Saudi Arabia, and says the Saudis are purchasing $142bn (£107bn) worth of American-made military equipment.

He then returns to talking about the US, saying “there’s no better place to make a future, make a fortune.”

Trump says wealth is ‘pouring into America’

Trump says that his administration has just reached two “historic” trade deals – calling both “outstanding”.

Firstly, he mentions the deal on tariffs with the United Kingdom. Then, he says the US has reached a “breakthrough agreement” with China.

The president adds that his teams have to “get the little details down”, but that China has agreed to “open up” to the US for trade “and everything else”.

Trump then moves on to domestic measures, and once again praises the strength of the US economy as he weaves through his record in office so far.

“From the moment we started we’ve seen wealth that has poured – and is pouring – into America”, he suggests.

‘We are rocking’ – Trump praises his administration’s work

The US president touts his administration’s record, to applause from those in the room.

He speaks at some length on this, touching on immigration, recruitment to the US armed forces, and other policy areas.

“We are rocking, the United States is the hottest country – with the exception of your country – I have to say, right?” he says, to big applause.

The temperature has been above 40C at times today in Riyadh.

US-Saudi relationship ‘more powerful than ever before’, says Trump

“Today we take the next steps to make our relationship closer, stronger and more powerful than ever before,” Trump says.

The president emphasises: “It is more powerful than ever before.”

“And it will remain that way,” he adds, saying the US doesn’t go “in and out like other people” – it’s not clear what he is referencing here.

Trump says US-Saudi relationship ‘bedrock of security and prosperity’

Trump continues to praise the warmth he has been shown in Saudi Arabia.

He says he has never forgotten the hospitality shown to him by the “great man” King Salman on a visit eight years ago.

Trump adds that this visit marks 80 years of partnership between the two countries, and that the US-Saudi relationship has been a “bedrock of security and prosperity”.

Bin Salman is an ‘incredible man’, Trump says

Trump takes the stage and stands there as the song God Bless the US plays.

The US president starts by saying that Saudi Arabia is a “great place” and has “great people”.

He then thanks the crown prince, describing him as an “incredible man”.

Crown prince says Saudi Arabia will ‘continue to build’ with US

Mohammed bin Salman continues, saying that he is confident that Saudi Arabia will “continue to build” with the US, based on the partnership between the two countries.

He says their joint action is not limited to the economy but extends towards bringing about security, stability and peace in the region and the world.

Agreement could rise to $1tn, MBS says

The crown prince mentions the $600bn (£453bn) agreement signed earlier today between the US and Saudi Arabia.

He suggests that this will rise to be worth $1tn in the coming months.

Mohammed bin Salman then lists some aspects of the agreement, which include military and technological elements – and says this will help grow jobs in the kingdom.

US and Saudi Arabia have ‘deep economic relations’ – crown prince

First up is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He says “our two friendly countries have deep economic relations” and that they meet today to deepen that partnership.

“Joint investments were one of the most important pillars of our economic relationship,” he says.

Trump to speak after signing economic agreement

Donald Trump has just stepped on stage at the Saudi-US investment forum in Riyadh.

He is set to make a leadership address alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

You’ll be able to follow along by pressing watch live at the top of the page, and we’ll bring you all the key lines here.

Saudi minister thanks Musk for ‘joining hands’ with the kingdom

While the crowds at the Saudi-US investment forum were waiting for Donald Trump to arrive, his adviser Elon Musk had a brief talk on stage with Saudi Arabian minister Abdullah Alswaha.

Musk was clapped onto the stage, where he spoke about his business exploits and philosophy of “curiosity”, before he was thanked by his counterpart.

“With the intelligence age, we could not be more appreciative of having a lifetime partner and a friend like you Elon to the kingdom,” Alswaha said.

“Joining hands on X AI, Starlink and Tesla… we look forward to continuing the partnership.”

Trump arrives at US-Saudi Investment Forum

Donald Trump’s motorcade has just pulled up at the venue for the US-Saudi investment summit, where he was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Trump is due to speak at the event, though it’s not clear at what time. We’ll update you when we know more.

It’s politically important for Trump to finalise economic deals with the Saudis

It’s politically important for Trump to finalise economic deals with the Saudis

Donald Trump wants to focus on striking financial deals during his Middle East trip, rather than trying to negotiate any major diplomatic agreements.

That’s why he has brought many of America’s top business leaders with him as well as some cabinet members. But he will not be able to avoid some of the most difficult global problems.

The war in Gaza will inevitably arise in discussions. The US president wants to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel – that would be a big diplomatic prize for him – but will not happen without a resolution to the conflict.

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are scheduled to begin later this week in Turkey, and President Trump has said he may fly on there if his presence “would be helpful”.

And the US is currently engaged in talks with Iran aimed at preventing the development of nuclear weapons.

For a president who promised that he would put “America First” and concentrate on issues at home – not abroad – that is a significant to-do list of foreign affairs.

That’s why it is politically important for Donald Trump to finalise some big economic deals that will bring inward investment to the United States and deliver, he hopes, jobs and prosperity for his voters.

Trump due to speak at Saudi-US Investment Forum

We’re still unpacking this deal between the US and Saudi Arabia – but we’re also waiting to hear from the US president, who is due to speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum.

That’s currently taking place in a conference centre in Riyadh, hosting major Saudi and American investors for talks and meetings.

On the event programme, Donald Trump is listed as giving a “leadership address” alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at around 17:05 local time (15:05 BST).

Clearly that’s now been delayed – but we’ll bring you the latest as and when that happens.

AI, gas turbines and planes – the other deals agreed in Saudi Arabia

The White House has released more detail about what else is included in the deals signed in Saudi Arabia:

• The White House says Saudi Arabia has made a $600bn (£453bn) “commitment to invest in the United States”
• There’s $20bn in Saudi investment in artificial intelligence data centres around the US
• A commitment from US technology firms to invest $80bn in “cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries”
• US exports of gas turbines and energy solutions worth $14.2bn, as well as Boeing 737-8 passenger aircraft worth $4.8bn
• Cooperation agreements between the two countries’ energy and mining sectors

What’s in the US-Saudi arms deal?

We can bring you more detail now on what the White House is calling the “largest defence sales agreement in history” – nearly $142bn (£107bn).

In a White House press release, the US says the arms sales cover five categories:

• Air force advancement and space capabilities
• Air and missile defence
• Maritime and coastal security
• Border security and land forces modernisation
• Information and communication systems upgrades

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

The expectation that the two would sign an arms deal was widely reported ahead of the visit, and follows the resumption of US offensive weapons sales to the Saudis last year.

US signs $142bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia, White House says

Among the agreements between the US and Saudi Arabia announced today is “the largest defence sales agreement in history”, the White House says.

It adds that the agreement is worth nearly $142bn (£107bn) and includes providing Saudi Arabia with “state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defence firms”.

What is Trump doing later?

So the VIP-packed lunch is over, and the two leaders have held signed and exchanged a number of agreements. What next?

Now that events in the Saudi Royal Court have wrapped up, the next step in Trump’s itinerary is to visit the ongoing Saudi-US Investment Forum at a conference centre in the capital.

Trump is then due to head to Diriyah At-Turaif, a historical area and Unesco world heritage site, on the edge of Riyadh.

While there the president will be hosted at an official state banquet to close out his evening.

Tomorrow morning Trump is due to attend a few more events in Saudi Arabia, before heading to nearby Qatar to continue his tour of the Middle East

Here’s what we know about the US-Saudi agreements

Details about what is included in the agreements just signed by Mohammed bin Salman and Donald Trump are minimal at the moment, but here’s what we know they include:

• A memorandum of understanding on energy
• A letter of intent for future defence capabilities, which has been reported to involve up to $100 billion in US weapons purchases by Saudi Arabia
• A memorandum of understanding on mineral resources
• A memorandum of understanding with the US Department of Justice
• Cooperation on space and infectious diseases

Trump leaves royal court

We’ve just seen Donald Trump leave the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh by motorcade.

Later we expect him to speak at a Saudi-US investment forum.

Trump and Mohammed bin Salman sign agreements

As we’ve just been reporting, Donald Trump is taking part in a signing ceremony with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In a plush room, the US president and Saudi leader sit at desks, signing the strategic economic partnership agreement. Applause from those watching follows.

Now we move on to the exchange of a stream of bilateral agreements between the two countries.

We’ll bring you more details on what the agreements contain as we get them.

Leaders begin signing ceremony

Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman have just emerged and are now signing a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries.

You can follow along by pressing watch live at the top of the page.

Trump called crown prince a friend during meeting, reporters say

So far we’ve heard very little about what US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) discussed during their meetings.

During one discussion, the leaders were seated at the end of a long hall, away from reporters who are following the US president on the trip.

But Trump was overhead by White House reporters calling the Saudi crown prince a friend, and saying he believes they have developed a good relationship.

“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump was heard saying.

The White House reporters add that the US president also recalled visiting Saudi Arabia in 2017 – during his first term in office – and told MBS that investment from the Gulf nation would help create jobs in the US.

Trump says US will drop sanctions on Syria

The US president announces that he will remove the longstanding US sanctions against Syria, imposed during former President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

“There’s a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilising the country and keeping peace,” he said.

“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump said, with MBS and the rest of the room rising to their feet to applaud the decision.

US president addresses Russia-Ukraine war

Trump continues by saying he wants to “stop” the war in Ukraine.

He also says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Istanbul for talks between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday.

The US president also thanked Saudi Arabia for its role in facilitating talks between Ukraine and Russia.

‘Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,’ Trump says

Trump says he wants to make a deal with Iran, with which his administration is engaged in nuclear negotiations.

He continues, however, by issuing a threat saying that if the Iranian leadership rejects this “olive branch and continues to attack its neighbours”, then the US will respond by “massive maximum pressure” and drive Iranian oil exports “to zero”.

“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he tells the crowd. “The choice is theirs to make,” he adds.

“This is an offer that will not last forever, the time is right now for them to choose.”

Iran insists its programme is for civilian purposes and it has no intention to pursue a nuclear weapon.

Trump expresses openness to improving relations with Iran, Syria

Trump hinted that he would not be restricted by previous periods of hostility when seeking new partnerships in the region, even as he called Iran an agent of “chaos” that has brought “unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, and beyond”.

“But I am here today not merely to condemn the past choices of Iran’s leaders, but to offer them a new and a better path toward a much more hopeful future,” he said, adding that he was “willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world”.

After signaling in recent days that the US may lift sanctions on Syria originally meant to isolate the government of deposed President Bashar al-Assad, Trump noted that the world “must hope” that the country’s new authorities “will succeed in stabilising the country and keeping peace”.

Trump says he hopes Saudi Arabia normalises ties with Israel

The US president says he hopes that Saudi Arabia will join the so-called Abraham Accords, the series of normalsation that his administration negotiated between Israel and some Arab countries during his first term.

“It’s my fervent hope, wish and even my dream that Saudi Arabia … will soon be joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump tells the forum.

“I think it will be a tremendous tribute to your country and it will be something that is really going to be very important for the future of the Middle East.”

Palestinian officials have slammed the normalisation as “another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause”.

Trump says Saudi Arabia is ‘forging a future’ based on commerce, investment

The US president says that the region is on the road to prosperity because of “a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts and tired divisions of the past, and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos”.

The statement comes as the region continues to be roiled by Israel’s destruction of Gaza, which has been carried out with billions of dollars worth of US weapons transfers. But Trump has laid out a vision of a Middle East where commercial agreements between governments take precedent over thorny political questions.

“After so many decades of conflict, finally it is within our grasp to reach the future that generations before us could only dream about – a land of peace, safety, harmony, opportunity, innovation, and achievement right here in the Middle East,” he said.

More from US president

Trump continues his praise of MBS, telling his he’s done an incredible job.

The US president also expresses his admiration of Riyadh, saying the Saudi capital is “becoming a capital of the world”.

US president defends administration’s record

Trump continues his speech by focusing on domestic issues.

He says the US Congress is “in good shape” to pass his tax bill.

He also defends his administration’s record on the economy and immigration.

Trump says ‘no one’ like ‘incredible’ MBS

The US president begins his speech by saying it’s a “tremendous honour” to be in Saudi Arabia, praising the kingdom as “a great place” and its population as “great people”.

Trump calls MBS “an incredible man”.

“There is no one like him,” he tells the crowd, adding that the relationship between the two countries is “more powerful” than ever before.

Trump to speak

The US president has now taken to the stage of the Saudi-US Investment Forum as Lee Greenwood’s song God Bless the USA blares from the speakers of the conference centre.

Everyone in attendance is standing up.

We’ll bring you his lines shortly.

Crown Prince Salman celebrates Saudi as key ‘strategic partner’ of the US

Taking to the stage, the Saudi leader says that this agreement represents the latest development in a partnership that reaches back several decades, calling the US the “main destination” of the Kingdom’s investment fund.

“We are here today to deepen this strategic partnership at its different levels with an economy that is built on hydrocarbons but also diversifying the economy, and building a knowledge-based economy,” he said.

“This partnership has always been one of our main pillars and Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest and most strategic partners of the United States, and is also an important member of the G20.”

More from Saudi-US Investment Forum

Trump and MBS have just taken a commemorative photo with US and Saudi business leaders at the investment forum.

The Saudi crown prince is due to take the stage shortly.

US president arrives at investment conference

Trump has arrived at the conference centre hosting the Saudi-US Investment Forum.

The US president is being shown around by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and other Saudi officials.

Saudi Arabia wants to see US reciprocate big investments

Saudi Arabia wants to see US reciprocate big investments

Saudi Arabia knows that as a leading oil exporter bringing in vast amounts of money, it has leverage and can further invest in the US market. That is something Trump has been looking for.

But at the same time, the kingdom wants to diversify its own economy away from reliance on oil. For this, it is also looking forward to the US investing in the Saudi market.

This explains why Saudi officials are pushing for more cooperation, particularly in security and defence. Ultimately, they want to see the US side committed for the long run.

So it’s not necessarily just Saudi Arabia pouring its cash into the US market. It would like to see the US reciprocate. This is quite crucial for the kingdom.

Trump’s AI tsar says ‘no risk’ of sharing AI technology with Saudi Arabia

David Sacks has defended the US president’s move to open up AI technology exports to allies, as several Gulf firms reportedly pursue deals with US counterparts.

Speaking at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, the White House’s AI and crypto tsar said a Biden-era regulation, which the Trump administration has announced plans to roll back, “restricted the diffusion or proliferation of American technology all over the world”.

“[Diffusion] is not a risk with a friend like Saudi Arabia at all,” said Sacks, a close friend of Musk.

Gaza an issue to watch as Trump’s Gulf tour continues

Gaza an issue to watch as Trump’s Gulf tour continues

I think Trump will be pretty pleased by what has been achieved so far. The deals signed would all had been agreed in advance. Now he may very well be catching up on information from other players.

In addition to Syria, Gaza is the other issue to watch.

There’s some talk that the US has new plans for Gaza, and we certainly know that the Gulf states have their own plans there. Will we see any movement on that? And if so, will it be something that worries Netanyahu?

I think it is interesting who Trump is listening to here. In his cabinet, he’s got people who have traditionally been very strong supporters of Israel, notably his Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

But I think on this issue, he’s listening to his instincts and to Steve Witkoff, his real estate friend, who is leading the negotiations. We seem to get the view that Witkoff is getting unhappy with the continuance of the war in Gaza.

Will that feed into President Trump, and will we see any important developments in the coming hours?

White House touts $142bn in Saudi defence sales

The White House has released additional details on some of the US-Saudi agreements signed by Trump and Prince Mohammed, describing them as “historic and transformative”.

The deals include nearly $142bn in defence sales – what the White House called the largest ever agreement of its kind – as well as tens of billions in energy and technology investments, which it said are “just a few of the many transformative deals” reached.

Altogether, the agreements are part of a broader package the White House said will total $600bn.

If you’re just joining us

Let’s bring you up to speed with the main developments of the past few hours:

• US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) have taken part in an agreement-signing ceremony in Riyadh.
• The two countries have agreed to expand cooperation in a number of sectors, including energy, mining and defence.
• Earlier, Trump and MBS spent about an hour greeting Saudi and US officials as well as a number of business leaders, including top executives from Google, Nvidia, Amazon, OpenAI, Tesla and Boeing.
• In brief comments, Trump praised MBS and their two countries’ business relations.

Photos: Business leaders attend Saudi-US Investment Forum

Saudi Arabia using US president’s visit to boost regional status

Trump’s visit is a unique opportunity for Saudi Arabia to position itself as a key regional player.

The country is a leading oil exporter that has a huge influence over both the global supply and price of oil. This is very crucial for the Trump administration, which wants to see lower oil prices.

However, Saudi Arabia is saying that, as a key regional player, it wants to have a bigger say on regional issues. It sees itself as potentially becoming the number one player in this region, particularly as Iran’s clout has eroded over the past few months, including with the ouster of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and the takeover by new authorities there that Saudi Arabia is building strong ties with.

That is why Saudi officials are pushing for geopolitical agreements during Trump’s visit and inviting GCC leaders to join tomorrow. They want to send a clear message that from now onwards, if you want to solve a problem in this part of the world, the address is Riyadh.

Trump leaves after signing deal

The US president has just departed the Royal Court after the conclusion of the signing ceremony.

He was accompanied to his vehicle by MBS.

‘Long list’ of agreements shows ‘depth’ of US-Saudi relationship

The extent of the many agreements reached between the US and Saudi Arabia “speaks to the depth” of their relationship, says Abdulaziz Alghashian, director of research at the Riyadh-based Observer Research Foundation Middle East.

“Saudi Arabia still sees the US as their main security partner and trading partner,” Alghashian told Al Jazeera.

“It won’t come at the cost of relations with others, but there’s still a great deal of keenness to develop relations with the US and that’s what we can see from the long list [of agreements] the Saudi Royal Court has just explained and highlighted.”

Photos: Trump and MBS take part in deal-signing ceremony

US-Gulf minerals deals being hammered out during Trump’s trip: Report

The Washington Post is reporting on several US-Gulf business deals taking shape during Trump’s regional tour.

One is a $9bn partnership between US companies and Saudi firms to “mine and process critical minerals used in advanced manufacturing, energy and defense” for export to the US, the CEO of one of the US firms involved, Burkhan World Investments, told the newspaper.

Another anticipated deal involves the UAE’s artificial intelligence powerhouse G42 and Saudi firm Humain, which will gain access to US-produced AI chips, according to sources quoted by the Post.

Several major US AI figures are in Riyadh during Trump’s visit, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Saudi-US agreements cover energy, defence, space cooperation

Saudi officials have listed a number of memorandums of understanding reached between the US and Saudi Arabia.

They cover energy, defence, mining and mineral resources, judicial and law enforcement cooperation, and space monitoring.

In addition, the two countries inked letters of intent to boost joint cooperation on national guard training, support and upgrades as well as modernising and developing the capabilities of the Saudi armed forces.

Trump, MBS sign documents

President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed just participated in a document-signing ceremony.

Saudi state media described it as a strategic economic partnership agreement.

Footage showed the two leaders shaking hands after the signing to applause from their delegations.

We’ll bring you more on this shortly.

Trump, MBS still meeting about trade, military partnership

Talks are still under way between Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump. They are mainly focusing on finalising large trade and arms deals which will be announced later today.

They are hoping to get closer to a major security pact, something Saudi Arabia tried to achieve with the Biden administration.

There is also talk about arms and artificial intelligence – which Saudi Arabia is becoming one of the biggest global investors in – as well as about politics in the Middle East, including the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Syria and many other issues.

This event is perceived by Saudi Arabia as a turning point, a vindication of its ever-growing geopolitical clout in this part of the world.

‘Flashy Gulf deals aside, Trump remains a committed Israel supporter’

Although Israel may be sidelined on this trip, that doesn’t mean it won’t continue to have a central role in US policy, Belen Fernandez argues in her latest opinion piece for Al Jazeera.

“Just last month, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – source of the idea that there is ‘no reason for a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza’ – was hosted by Republican officials at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida,” she wrote.

“After a dinner held in his honour, Ben-Gvir boasted that Republicans had ‘expressed support for my very clear position on how to act in Gaza and that the food and aid depots should be bombed’,” Fernandez added.

“Flashy trillion-dollar Gulf deals aside, rest assured that the Trump administration remains as committed as ever to capitalising on Israeli atrocities.”

Read more of this opinion piece here.

Clear that Trump, MBS ‘can do business together’

I think the words the Saudis will like to hear from the US president are, “We like each other a lot,” because that’s how Donald Trump does business.

It’s all about personal relations, transactional business, but all based on getting to know the person and liking the person.

It’s clear, I think, from the body language we’ve seen – not just now but also in the past – that the Saudi crown prince and the US president get on. They are people who can do business together.

‘We like each other a lot,’ Trump tells MBS

We have the first public comments made by Trump speaking alongside Crown Prince Mohammed in Riyadh.

Speaking moments ago, the US president argued “the biggest business leaders in the world” were in the Saudi capital.

“They are going to walk away with a lot of cheques, or a lot of things that you are going to provide,” he told MBS, referencing a figure of “probably two million jobs” in the US, without giving details.

“Number one, I like visiting with you and we’ve known each other very well, and I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump also told MBS.

“Number two,” Trump continued, the US had gotten “tremendous” investment and jobs “and we’ll continue to service your great country very well”.

Egypt ‘closely following’ Trump’s Gulf tour

Although Egypt is not on the itinerary of Trump’s Middle East tour, it is “closely following” the visit and “stands to gain” from its focus on promoting regional stability and security, former Egyptian diplomat Hussein Haridy says.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Haridy said officials in Cairo are watching two key aspects of the trip: its potential impact on regional stability and how it may reshape US-Gulf relations.

“We are looking forward to positive results,” he said, adding that Trump appears to be “redrawing the geostrategic map of the Middle East”.

He added: “The fact that Cairo is not one of Trump’s first stops “does not diminish the role of Egypt as a regional power nor the strong partnership between Egypt and the US.”

‘Gulf governments stronger friends to Trump than Israel’s’

A week ago, Trump announced the US abandoning its daily bombing campaign of Yemen, saying the Houthis had agreed to stop attacking ships on the Red Sea

The Trump administration did not notify Israel, which the Houthis continue to target, of the agreement before Trump’s public announcement – the latest example of Trump leaving Israeli officials in the dark about his administration’s negotiations with common adversaries.

“Israel will defend itself by itself,” Netanyahu said last week following Trump’s announcement. “If others join us – our American friends – all the better.”

William Wechsler, senior director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council, said Trump’s decision to skip Israel on his first Middle East visit is remarkable.

“The main message coming out of this, at least as the itinerary stands today, is that the governments of the Gulf … are in fact stronger friends to President Trump than the current government of Israel at this moment,” Wechsler told AP.

Trump returning to ‘very different Riyadh’

This  is a very different Riyadh than it was when Donald Trump came in 2017. Huge investments and partnerships have taken place, including from the US. This is what the crown prince has been looking for and wants to see continuing in the coming years.

Another notable thing is that none of the American women in a meeting that took place here wore head coverings. Back in 2017, reporters were required to wear head coverings while doing their work.

So there are more freedoms, more openness this time. This is significant because this feeling of cooperation and openness is translating to business arrangements in the multi-billions of dollars.

Photos: Smiles and handshakes at the palace

World’s diplomacy currently taking place in the Middle East

Iran is on the agenda because everyone will discuss it, and I think the countries in the region, certainly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, will encourage Trump in his efforts.

There have been four rounds of Iran-US negotiations – three in Muscat and one in Rome but all brokered by Oman. I think this is showing that the diplomacy in the world is all taking place in this region at the moment.

Remember also that Saudi Arabia is where the early meeting between Ukraine and Russia took place in March. And we’re having this idea teased that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, would like to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey’s Istanbul.

They’ve even put out a date of Thursday, and Trump has suggested making a possible detour on his Gulf trip to join the talks – unlikely to happen, but with Donald Trump, never say never.

If you’re just joining us

Let’s bring you up to speed with the main developments of recent hours:

• Air Force One landed at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, shortly before 10am (07:00 GMT).
• US President Donald Trump was greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the sounds of a 21-gun salute and trumpets.
• The two leaders then headed to the Royal Court, where a lengthy procession of dignitaries, officials and business figures waited their turn to shake hands with them.
• The Saudi-US Investment Forum has also begun with the two leaders expected to take part later today.
• Saudi Arabia is the first leg of Trump’s tour of the Gulf, where he will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
  From right, Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump meet with officials

Trump facing ‘tremendous criticism’ over Gulf business ventures

Many in the US argue Trump is using this trip for his own gain.

It is no secret that Trump sees this area, in particular, in the eyes of a real estate developer – as a big open area that is ripe for development. It is a developer’s dream.

In all three of the stops he’ll be making, he has personal investments. He has properties and his sons have cryptocurrency and real estate ventures. Just weeks ago, Trump’s sons were in these very nations advocating for these very ventures.

The White House insists Trump is doing this for the US people, that’s it’s not for personal gain, but it is really hard to argue there will not also be personal gain. That has opened him up to tremendous criticism from the opposition Democrats.

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.”

• Donald Trump is joined by Elon Musk and other VIPs in Saudi Arabia during the first major diplomatic trip of his second term
• The US president is being hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a lavish lunch
• Trump is hoping to secure significant new investment in the US in the four-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE
• Trump’s itinerary notably does not include Israel, with economic issues – rather than diplomatic or security concerns – atop Trump’s priority list, writes our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher
• Arab leaders are certain to press Trump to do more to ease suffering in Gaza, says our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet

Trump has spoken to released Gaza hostage, US special envoy says

Meanwhile in Israel, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East – Steve Witkoff – says he is “honoured” to have met with released US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, and “welcome him home”.

The 21-year-oldhad been serving in the Israeli army on the border of Gaza when he was captured by Hamas on 7 October 2023. He was released yesterday after 19 months in captivity.

“The world is inspired by his courage and resilience. His return gives hope to so many”, Witkoff writes in a post on social media.

He says they spoke to US President Donald Trump on the phone, and shared a picture of them appearing to do so.

Witkoff, who is spearheading the Trump administrations efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of those held there, adds: “We remain committed to bringing every last hostage home.”

As the leaders have lunch – a reminder of Trump’s Saudi Arabia schedule

As the Saudi and US delegations have lunch at Riyadh’s royal court, let’s have a quick reminder of what Donald Trump is up to in the Middle East:

• The US president – aboard Air Force One – was escorted into Riyadh by fighter jets, as he arrived in Saudi Arabia for the start of his four day visit to the region
• It marks the first major foreign tour of the US president’s second term. A key focus will be securing significant investment for the US economy – with rumours of a $100bn (£75.7bn) arms deal on the cards
• Handshakes have already been exchanged between Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and VIPs attending lunch in Riyadh – among them the heads of OpenAI and Nvidia, as well as Trump adviser and Tesla mogul Elon Musk
• Notably absent from the trip so far, though, is any discussion with Israeli officials over the war in Gaza. Our North America correspondent has more on how Israel lobbied in vain for Trump to add the country to his itinerary
• Later on today, we’ll have updates as Trump attends a Saudi-US investment forum, before toasting the day with a lavish Saudi state dinner

You can follow along with us, by pressing watch live at the top of the page.

Handshakes galore with key business figures

Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman spent about an hour greeting the gathered Saudi-US officials, senior military figures and business leaders.

That marathon handshake session has just concluded. Some well-known faces were there, here’s who we spotted:

Arab leaders likely to press Trump to do more in Gaza

President Trump’s visit is taking place at a very sensitive time in this region.

Arab leaders are certain to press him to do more to ease the suffering in Gaza, bring the remaining hostages home, and pressure Israel to move towards a ceasefire.

Trump has made it clear he also wants this war to end but it’s still unclear how much he is able, and willing, to do on his four-day trip.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an effort to highlight his own close relationship with the US president, said yesterday they both agreed on Israel’s war aims – which includes defeating Hamas.

Trump calls himself the world’s best peacemaker but he also expects his regional partners to do more to solve their own crises.

“The US doesn’t have the bandwidth and the ability to manage all these crises anymore,“ Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House think tank told me.

But President Trump’s words, and warnings, carry weight in this region.

Many, most of all in Gaza, will be waiting to see what he says, and does.

Elon Musk among VIPs attending Riyadh lunch

Elon Musk, President Trump’s adviser and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is among numerous VIP guests attending the lunch in Riyadh’s royal court, according to the official participant list.

Horses, handshakes and motorcades – Trump visits Saudi Royal Court

We’re continuing to see images of Trump’s state visit to the Saudi Royal Court – you can see pictures of the official ceremony below.

Coffee and tea ceremony under way

The state visit is well under way now, as Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman take their places at the head of the ceremonial blue room inside the Saudi Royal Court.

Servers are going around the room, filling the cups of dozens of US and Saudi officials with coffee and tea.

Trump arrives at Saudi Royal Court

Trump is arriving at the Saudi Royal Court for an official arrival ceremony.

The US president is due to attend a coffee and tea service in the ceremonial blue room, a lunch with CEOs, bilateral meetings and an agreement signing, the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, reports.

The Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh is home to the Saudi Royal Court, and it is the official residence of the King of Saudi Arabia.

Arms sales worth $100bn reportedly among US-Saudi deals

An agreement for Saudi Arabia to buy more than $100bn of US arms and other military equipment is widely reported to be among the deals Trump is due to announce on this trip.

Missiles, radar systems and transport aircraft are reportedly part of the package.

The US has been a longstanding arms supplier to Saudi Arabia, but that relationship faltered in 2021 when the Biden administration stopped selling Riyadh offensive weapons, citing concerns about the country’s role in the war in neighbouring Yemen.

The 2018 killing of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was also widely reported to be a factor – a US intelligence report found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder, but Saudi Arabia described it as “false”.

The Biden White House resumed the sale of offensive weapons last year, saying the Saudis had stopped bombing Yemen. Some commentators said the US was seeking Saudi assistance to help end the conflict in Gaza and aid its future reconstruction.

Trump teased ‘earth-shattering’ announcement during trip

President Trump had spoken of an “earth-shattering” announcement during this visit. It’s still not clear what he was referring to.

It could point to the mega deals he’s expected to sign on his three stops, totalling more than a trillion dollars in investment in the US economy.

There was speculation he could rename the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf to please Arab leaders he’s meeting on this first official tour.

But it’s still unclear if he will go ahead with a move which would cause significant upset in Iran.

“It could have been a trial balloon to test reactions,” Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House think tank told me. Or there could be moves towards a regional defence pact.

Significantly, a broader normalisation including Israel, that President Biden also tried to achieve, is not on the agenda now while the grievous Gaza war grinds on.

And with President Trump, there’s always the unpredictable too.

Why is Trump in the Middle East?

Donald Trump has begun his first major international tour of his second term as president, where he’ll visit Gulf states over the next four days for bilateral talks.

A key focus of the trip will be securing significant new investment for the US economy.

Securing new investments in the US from Gulf states, and particularly from their state-backed sovereign wealth funds, will help Trump to signal back home that his “America First” agenda is delivering results.

The push comes amid economic headwinds, as Trump’s new import tariffs have significantly disrupted global trade, confidence, and the US economy itself.

Today, Trump is meeting the country’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Later, he will attend a Saudi-US investment forum in Riyadh, featuring CEOs from BlackRock, Palantir, Citigroup, IBM, Qualcomm, Alphabet, and Franklin Templeton, in an effort to draw top Wall Street and Silicon Valley leaders to Saudi Arabia.

Trump is then expected to attend a summit of Gulf leaders in the city on Wednesday, before travelling to Qatar that same day.

He will then end his four-day trip in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.

Israel notably absent from Trump’s Middle East itinerary

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to visit Donald Trump after he returned to the White House earlier this year. Now Trump is in the Middle East for his first major foreign trip, but his itinerary notably does not include Israel.

Israeli officials had reportedly privately lobbied the Trump administration to add their nation to his itinerary – efforts that proved to be in vain.

While US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee asserted on Saturday that US-Israeli relations remain strong, the snub, along with recent US diplomatic efforts, suggests that American priorities in the region may be diverting from its longtime ally.

Monday’s release of Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander was the result of direct US-Hamas talks that bypassed Israel. Other US moves, including negotiating a ceasefire with the Houthi rebels in Yemen that didn’t include Israeli targets and opening direct talks with Iran over the nation’s nuclear programme, have also surprised Israeli officials.

Trump’s second term began with reports of his personal negotiator, Steve Witkoff, berating Netanyahu over his reluctance to agree to a Gaza prisoner-hostage exchange and a temporary ceasefire.

And despite a second visit by Netanyahu to the White House for trade negotiations in April, the two nations have yet to ink a deal.

On this trip, economic issues – rather than diplomatic or security concerns – are atop Trump’s priority list. And by that metric, the Arab nations, with their vast concentrations of wealth, have a decided advantage over Israel, no matter how many times Netanyahu stops by the Oval Office.

Israel may be left hoping that at some point soon, American interests will shift.

Initial meeting between US and Saudi leaders begins

Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman are sitting down for an initial meeting at King Khalid airport in Riyadh, next to portraits of members of the Saudi Royal family.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also present at the meeting.

We’ll bring you more details of what they’re discussing once we have them.

Trump’s senior officials meet Saudi’s Crown Prince

Mohammed bin Salman has just greeted other senior US officials travelling with Trump, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets Trump

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often known by his initials MBS, has greeted Trump at King Khalid airport.

The pair shook hands and will shortly head off to a hotel for a private meeting, before the rest of Trump’s trip to Riyadh and the wider region.

Trump touches down in Saudi Arabia

Trump is stepping off Air Force One, with Saudi military members stationed by a striking purple carpet laid out for the US president.

He is due to be met by Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shortly, then the pair will head off to a hotel for a private meeting.

As we’ve been reporting, the US president will spend today and part of tomorrow in the capital Riyadh, before heading off to see other key allies in Gulf – Qatar the UAE.

Royal Saudi Air Force jets escort Air Force One

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s escorted Air Force One as it approached Riyadh moments ago, ahead of Trump’s multi-day tour in the Middle East.

We’ve just had these striking pictures taken from aboard Air Force One.

Air Force One lands in Saudi Arabia

Donald Trump’s presidential aircraft, Air Force One, has just landed in Saudi Arabia, kicking off the US president’s first major international tour of his second term.

You can watch Trump’s arrival by pressing watch live at the top of this page.

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.

Welcome to our live coverage

Hello, and thank you for joining our live coverage of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East.

Stay with our live team as we bring you all the latest developments, analyses and reactions throughout the day.

Trump administration officials are seeing it as a major breakthrough towards the foreign policy goals of a president who campaigned to end the war.

So does it make a ceasefire plausible? And if so, can it end the war after Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago in a just and sustainable way, and on terms that keep the region and the world safe?

Statement: “Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”

Analysis: The key word here is “immediate,” which doesn’t leave any doubt: Trump wants the guns to fall silent now. His sense of urgency, however, has often led to concerns in Europe.

Many fear that rushing the desired outcome without first working out the terms takes the military pressure off Moscow as the invading power and could lead to a truce being exploited.

They argue it empowers the occupying force.

The fear is of ultimately leading Ukraine into an effective surrender. The theory is that Russia – the bigger, more populous and militarily more self-sufficient power – could use a truce without first establishing concessions to consolidate its forces, string out a negotiation process and wait to see what happens politically for Trump during his term while it holds on to everything it seized; and even then try to take more ground, building on its current occupation and potentially using a fracture in the Western alliance to threaten more of Europe.

The process of negotiating terms before a ceasefire in conflicts can be important to ensure the sides convert current military threats into meaningful strategic gains.

Zelensky has previously tried to persuade the Americans that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted, evidenced by the fact he broke the European-backed Minsk agreements after seizing Ukrainian territory in 2014.

Trump dismisses these concerns, saying there will be security for Ukraine, but without saying how this will be assured. He has said Putin will be deterred and is in a difficult position with “no choice” but to make a deal for reasons that “only I know”.

Rubio said on Tuesday the US delegation had substantive discussions with the Ukrainians on a permanent end to the war, including “what type of guarantees they’re going to have for their long-term security and prosperity”, but again didn’t elaborate.Watch: Rubio on how US wants Ukraine-Russia negotiations to work

Statement: “The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine.”

Analysis: This is the big win for Zelensky in this agreement and sees US weapons supplies being delivered at a rate of around $2bn (£1.5bn)-worth a month, restored.

Critically, it also means Washington will once again share its intelligence data and satellite pictures with Kyiv, which helps it target Russian positions. The White House said it suspended this aid because it felt Zelensky wasn’t “committed” to Trump’s peace plan.

The Ukrainian leader had tried to voice his concerns based on some of the reasons above when he was ejected from the Oval Office. His reservations are likely being set aside while he welcomes the agreement in this form – a necessary price to pay to restore US security assistance.

Statement: “Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine’s long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process.”

Analysis: This paragraph is confusing because it’s unclear whether it refers to negotiations between Ukraine and the US on establishing any security guarantees for Ukraine, or if it refers to negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to permanently end the war once a ceasefire is under way.

If it is the former, it appears to suggest that Washington and Kyiv will hammer out any decisions on how to back up Ukraine’s security and deter Russian breaches of a truce, and the US will then discuss these with Moscow.

But it is all a far cry from the kind of security guarantee Zelensky ultimately wanted, which was membership of Nato, which Trump has said won’t happen – a major long-term concession to Moscow’s demands.

The paragraph also contains a vague and lukewarm reference to the idea of European peacekeepers, which have been pitched by the UK and France, with the line attributed only to the Ukrainian delegation.

It’s notable that the US appears not to be putting its name to this part after Moscow categorically rejected the idea.

Statement: “…both countries’ presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine’s economy and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security.”

Analysis: This was the agreement that never got signed after Zelensky was told to leave the White House last month.

It would give the US a future stake in some of Ukraine’s state-owned mineral deposits, as well as oil and gas revenues.

Trump sees it as an effective security guarantee for Ukraine, arguing it would deter Russian re-invasion because American companies would be on the ground.

Opponents point out this is meaningless because US economic presence in Ukraine didn’t deter Putin in 2014 or 2022.

“The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian people’s strong gratitude to President Trump…”

This is a key line that might help explain Zelenky’s rehabilitation in the eyes of the White House.

Vance had castigated him in the Oval Office for not thanking Trump, even though the Ukrainian leader has thanked the US dozens of times for its military support.

Now Trump has an official Ukrainian thank you, on a piece of paper meant to make peace.

The men described the meeting as preparing the groundwork for broader “high-level” talks and agreed to reset their countries’ diplomatic relations.

Who are they and what significance will they play in the rapprochement between the two powers.

As US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio faced his veteran Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The pair had already spoken over the phone three days earlier.

Rubio has long sought an end to the war in Ukraine and voted against a $6bn US military aid package in 2024. He sees China as America’s biggest adversary and believes Beijing is happy for the US to be “bogged down in Europe”.

He has cautioned that “one meeting is not going to solve [the war]”, describing the Saudi talks as a first step towards negotiations. And he has made clear that both Ukraine and Europe will have to be involved too.

National security adviser Mike Waltz believes the US deserves “some type of payback” for the billions it has paid out to Ukraine during three years of full-scale war.

Not only does he believe that Europeans have to “own this conflict” in terms of future security guarantees. He also thinks Ukraine should share its mineral wealth in partnership with the US “in terms of their rare earths, their natural resources, and their oil and gas”.

Steve Witkoff is more of an unknown quantity. Although these are the first official talks between Russia and the US for almost two years, Witkoff was the man Donald Trump chose to send to Moscow only last week for talks with Vladimir Putin.

Ostensibly, he’s Trump’s Middle East envoy, but clearly the president’s former golf partner is far more significant than that and he is being seen as the president’s loyal and favoured dealmaker.

He was part of talks on forging Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas but was then sent to Russia to help with the exchange of US prisoner Marc Fogel for a Russian, Alexander Vinnik, in jail in America.

Russia chose two top diplomats for this initial exchange of views.

Both are veterans and know the US well: Putin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister since 2004.

They have also helped Putin steer his foreign policy during three years of war.

As former ambassador to the US, 77-year-old Yuri Ushakov has a good idea of how to talk to Washington. Within days of Donald Trump’s return to the White House he made clear Russia was ready for talks if the US sent “relevant signals”.

Days before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he accused the Biden administration of peak “hysteria” in suggesting Russian troops were preparing to go to war.

As Russia’s standing with the West plummeted in 2022, it fell to Sergei Lavrov to promote his country on the international stage. He took part in doomed ceasefire talks with Ukraine shortly after the full-scale war began and even denied there had been an invasion.

A third Russian was not in the room, but Kirill Dmitriev’s presence in the delegation is a mark of just how important Vladimir Putin sees the economic potential of the Saudi talks.

Dmitriev, 49, is head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund and told reporters he would focus on future economic relations with the US: “We also need to make joint projects, including, for example, in the Arctic Region, and in other areas.”

Significantly, Dmitriev played a key role in working with Steve Witkoff in the prisoner exchange that preceded Trump’s phone-call with Putin last week, along with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman.

Dmitriev has close connections to Putin’s family – his wife is close to one of Putin’s daughters.

And few Russians know America’s finance and business sector better than Dmitriev, as a former investment banker at Goldman Sachs and a graduate of Harvard Business School.

Although he is adamant Russia’s economy is doing well, 43% of the budget is going on the war and internal security, inflation is just under 10% and interest rates have hit 21%.

The two Saudi hosts chaired the start of the meeting but did not stay in the room.

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has played an active role as top Saudi diplomat this year, visiting Lebanon and Europe and hosting an international meeting aimed at lifting sanctions on Syria.

Saudi national security adviser Musaed al-Aiban has also played a prominent part in promoting Saudi ties with Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Although Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman takes the lead on foreign policy, these two men are regularly by his side.

“Any appearance by armed forces under some other flag does not change anything. It is of course completely unacceptable,” he said.

Russia and the US said they had agreed to appoint teams to start negotiating the end of the war.

“Today is the first step of a long and difficult journey, but an important one”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said following the meeting.

Ukraine was not invited to the talks, which its president Volodymyr Zelensky said was a “surprise”.

The meeting in Riyadh was the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Russian and American delegations are known to have met face-to-face.

Also at the meeting in Saudi Arabia were US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, as well as Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov and the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev.

Afterwards, Lavrov said the US and Russia would appoint ambassadors to each other’s countries as soon as possible and create conditions to “restore co-operation in full”.

“It was a very useful conversation. We listened to each other, and we heard each other,” he said.

He reiterated Russia’s previous position that any expansion of the Nato defence alliance – and Ukraine joining it – would be a “direct threat” to Russia.

Rubio meanwhile said he was “convinced” Russia was “willing to begin to engage in a serious process” to end the conflict.

“There has to be concessions made by all sides. We’re not going to predetermine what those are.”

European leaders held a hastily-arranged meeting in Paris on Monday to discuss their response to the apparent rapprochement between Russia and the US under President Trump – but did not agree a unified position.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said any Ukraine deal would require a “US backstop” to deter Russia from attacking its neighbour again and said he would consider deploying UK troops to Ukraine.

But Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key Nato ally, said for his part, discussing sending troops to Ukraine at present was “completely premature”.

In Riyadh, Rubio said the European Union was going to “have to be at the table at some point because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed”.

On the absence of Ukraine at the meeting, he insisted “no one is being side-lined”.

“Everyone involved in that conflict has to be OK with it, it has to be acceptable to them,” he added.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky looked visibly tired and upset when he gave his reaction to the meeting during a news conference in Turkey.

“We want everything to be fair and so that nobody decides anything behind our back,” he said.

“You cannot make decisions without Ukraine on how to end the war in Ukraine.”

He will be alarmed by all the smiles on both American and Russian faces in Riyadh, but he will know that he can do little to change whatever they agree on over his head.

The Ukrainian president will also know that his country’s chances of resisting – let alone defeating – Russian troops without American help are very slim.

The shadow that cast over the country and its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in particular, appears to have lifted, although there are still concerns occasionally raised at international forums over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

On many fronts – in entertainment and sport in particular – the country has spent huge amounts of money to further its ambitions to be a major player on the world stage.

Diplomatically, the Saudi leadership has also been enhancing its role. During the Biden years, the Kingdom increased its pivot away from reliance on the US as its key international ally.

The Saudis made clear that they would follow what they perceive as their interests first and foremost – striking up closer relationships with countries viewed as key rivals to the US, such as Russia and China.

The return of Donald Trump to the White House will have been welcomed by the Saudis.

His first foreign visit in his first term was to Saudi Arabia – and the transactional nature of his foreign policy is more conducive to the current Saudi leadership.

One of the possible achievements that Mr Trump would most like to chalk up on his record would be a peace deal between the Saudis and Israel – which would be the culmination of the Abraham Accords that he initiated in his first term.

But the war in Gaza has subsequently got in the way and may well raise the price that Saudi Arabia will demand for a peace agreement.

The Saudis were very quick to announce their definitive rejection of Mr Trump’s plan for Gaza – to remove all the Palestinians and rebuild it as a resort.

It has spurred the Kingdom to try to come up with a workable alternative plan with other Arab states – which would see Gazans remain in place as the enclave is rebuilt and would lead to a two state solution of the conflict.

The Trump administration’s current thinking would seem to be at odds with this – in its policy towards both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

How this will be resolved will be key to the dynamics in the evolving relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US.

What is clear is that the Saudis have no intention of reining in their ambition of becoming an essential player in global diplomacy.

They are still reeling from not being invited by the US to talks with Russia over the future of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he could be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon”.

Can Europe, under pressure, put political differences and domestic economic concerns aside, and come up with a united front on security spending and on Ukraine’s future, including potentially sending troops there – to force themselves a spot at the negotiating table?

They are going to try.

On Monday morning, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was “ready and willing to put troops on the ground.” Even in Germany, ahead of a heated election, the foreign policy spokesman of the CDU party, expected to win the largest number of seats said Europe’s largest country would also be willing to commit troops in a “peacekeeping” role, with an international mandate.

The Trump administration is clearly not 100% sure what it wants to do about Ukraine. There were a number of mixed messages over the weekend.

This allows Europe a tiny window of opportunity to try to persuade the American president it’s an invaluable partner.

It hopes to do that via this Paris meeting, getting the ball rolling on two major issues demanded by Donald Trump: That Europe spend and do more for its own defence, and that Europe send troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire.

Europe’s leaders insist Kyiv be directly involved in ceasefire talks too. They’ve long maintained the view that “there can be no decisions about Ukraine, without Ukraine”.

But it’s about even more than that for Europe.

It is the cold realisation – much dreaded, but not entirely unexpected – that the Trump administration does not prioritise relations either with European partners, or their defence.

Europe has relied on a security umbrella provided by the US since World War Two.

Depending on the parameters of the Russia-US talks over Ukraine, and how emboldened Putin feels by them, there is also a European fear this could end up changing their continent’s security architecture.

Putin historically resents the spread of Nato eastwards. Russian neighbours – the tiny, former Soviet Baltic States and also Poland – now feel particularly exposed.

Not all European countries will be at Monday’s summit. Just those with military heft: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark – which is expected to represent the Baltic and Nordic nations, plus the EU Council president and the secretary general of the defence alliance, Nato.

Other countries will reportedly have later, follow-up meetings.

Even at the small Paris gathering, it will be hard, if not impossible, to agree concrete defence spending increases. Poland plans to spend 4.47% of its GDP on defence in 2025. The UK is struggling towards, and hasn’t yet reached, 2.5% of its GDP.

But leaders can pledge to coordinate better, spend more inside Nato and shoulder most of Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. The EU is expected to bolster its defence effort too.

A large part of the Paris meeting will also focus on the question of sending troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire.

The idea being discussed is not for peacekeeping troops but rather a “reassurance force”, stationed behind, rather than on, any eventual ceasefire line.

The aim of a European troop presence would be three-fold. To send a message to Ukrainians: that they are not alone. Another message to the US, to show that Europe is “doing its bit” for defence of its own continent, and the last message to Moscow, to warn that if it breaks the terms of an eventual ceasefire, it won’t be dealing with Kyiv alone.

But it’s a controversial concept and may not be popular with voters. In Italy for example, 50% of people asked don’t want to send any more weapons to Ukraine, never mind sending sons and daughters, sisters and brothers there.

There are so many as yet unanswered questions:

How many troops would each European country have to send, for how long, and under whose command? What would their mission statement be – for example if Russia broke the terms of an agreed ceasefire, would that mean European soldiers would be directly at war with Russia? Would the US have their back if so?

Europe would want a US security guarantee before deploying soldiers to Ukraine. It may not get one.

It’s far too much to be decided on Monday. And leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, come to Paris with their own domestic concerns – can they afford extra defence spending, do they have the troops to send to Ukraine?

But this summit is more broad brushstrokes than fine print. The conversation can at least get started publicly.

Will Donald Trump be paying attention?

Hard to know.

There’s talk of sending an envoy to Washington after the Paris meeting to make Europe’s case. Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, is close to the Trump administration, for example.

Sir Keir Starmer has a planned visit to Washington in a few days. This could be his chance to act as a bridge between Europe and the US.

The Paris meeting also offers an opportunity for the UK and other European leaders to further mend relations after the bitterness of Brexit.

Mark Leonard, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations, notes that Starmer could “demonstrate that Britain is a responsible stakeholder for European security … Something that will be noticed and translate into goodwill when it comes to negotiations on other issues”.

Issues like trade relations and law enforcement co-operation which the UK hopes to improve with the EU going forward.

Host nation France is feeling confident. President Macron has long advocated that Europe be less reliant on outside countries for supply chains, tech capabilities and very much so when it comes to defence. He made headlines a year ago by first mooting the idea of troops on the ground in Ukraine.

France is “fiercely proud” that its intelligence and security services are not intertwined with the US, unlike the UK, says Georgina Wright, deputy director for international studies at the Institut Montaigne. That makes it less complicated to untangle, now that Trump is in the White House, demanding that Europe take care of itself.

The US has sent a document to European allies consisting of six points and questions, such as which countries would be willing to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a peace settlement, and which governments would be prepared to increase sanctions on Russia, including more strictly enforcing existing ones.

But Julianne Smith, until recently the US ambassador to Nato, says this kind of complicated diplomatic work normally takes weeks of meetings and can’t be organised by filled-in forms.

She adds that whatever Europe’s leaders achieve in Paris, if they use that to demand a seat at the negotiating table over Ukraine, their hand is weak.

“If Trump blinks and says no, does Europe refuse to help altogether? They can’t cut off their nose to spite their face.”

Essentially, if the US plans to turn away from Ukraine and from Europe more broadly in terms of security, they will have to significantly up their defence game anyway.

If Donald Trump isn’t watching, Vladimir Putin certainly is.