President Trump and Crown Prince MBS speak at the Royal Palace in Riyadh [Alex Brandon/AP Photo]
- President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia, in what will be the first stop of a three-day tour that will also see him visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, has greeted Trump upon arrival in Riyadh.
- The White House says Trump is making a “historic return to the Middle East”, the first official state visit of his second presidency, where he will concentrate on “strengthening ties“.
- Trump is expected to focus on securing major financial investments for the United States and making diplomatic inroads on regional issues, including a Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian statehood and Saudi Arabia-Israel normalisation talks.
- In Saudi Arabia, his first stop, Trump is hoping to secure a $1 trillion investment in US industry from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, upping the crown prince’s earlier investment pledge of $600bn.
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.
Personal Gain
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.
Gaza
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.”
‘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.
Geopolitical ‘challenges
The Royal Court is where Trump and MBS are expected to finalise some of their significant agreements, to be announced later today.
Topping the agenda 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 , Lebanon and Palestinian statehooh.
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.
Al Jazeera