Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia kicking off his Gulf region tour
US President Donald Trump arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday morning, at the start of a Gulf tour that includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar.
The tour aims to strengthen economic and trade cooperation amid ongoing political challenges in the region.
Air Force One landed at King Khalid International Airport, Tuesday morning, where Trump was warmly welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as they exchanged words upon arrival at the airport before proceeding to the Royal Hall, accompanied by senior officials from both sides.
The Saudi-US Investment Forum kicks off in conjunction with Trump’s visit.
Trump’s visit coincides with the launch of the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, which is attended by a large number of ministers and businessmen from both countries.
The US president is scheduled to join the forum later Tuesday, in a move aimed at strengthening economic ties between Riyadh and Washington.
This visit marks Trump’s first stop on his Gulf tour, which will also take him to Qatar on Wednesday and the UAE on Thursday.
He is accompanied by a delegation of prominent American business leaders, including Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a close advisor to Trump.
Trump also hinted at the possibility of traveling to Türkiye on Thursday to participate in potential international talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Air Force One took off from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington DC, on Monday evening, marking Trump’s first foreign trip since returning to office.
Trump described his tour of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar as a “historic visit,” aimed at rebuilding strategic partnerships and strengthening US economic interests in the region.
It’s worth noting that Trump chose Saudi Arabia as his first foreign stop during his first presidential term in 2017, reflecting the depth of bilateral relations between the two countries.
Trump is scheduled to participate on Wednesday in the Gulf-US summit hosted by Riyadh, attended by leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, as part of strengthening joint regional dialogue.
The Saudi Cabinet welcomed the official visit, expressing hope that it would contribute to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia launches new artificial intelligence company ahead of Trump’s visit.
On the eve of Trump’s visit, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of Humane, a new artificial intelligence company owned by the Public Investment Fund.
The company aims to develop AI technologies locally and regionally, offering advanced applications such as large-scale Arabic language models, and building state-of-the-art data centers and advanced cloud infrastructure.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeks to become a global hub for artificial intelligence as part of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and achieve digital transformation through mega projects such as NEOM, the new Riyadh airport, and hosting the 2034 World Cup.
Trump is the eighth US president to visit Saudi Arabia and the 14th visit by a US president.
This is the fourteenth visit by a US president to the Kingdom since the 1970s, with seven previous visits.
Trump’s current visit is part of his efforts to revitalize US relations with the Gulf states, focusing on energy, security, and investment.
