Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia: Economic Agreements and Geopolitical Negotiations
Former US President Donald Trump began his Middle East tour in Saudi Arabia on May 13, 2025. There, he was warmly welcomed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The main goal of the trip is to strengthen bilateral economic ties and expand strategic cooperation ( time.com ).
Trump is being accompanied on his trip by senior US officials and big business leaders – Elon Musk, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ( time.com ).
Saudi Arabia and the United States are expected to sign a $100 billion arms deal. Cooperation in energy, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and defense is also being discussed ( time.com ).
Trump's plane was escorted by Saudi F-15 fighter jets. His arrival in Riyadh was marked by a lavender carpet and fireworks. US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also attended the reception ( time.com ).
Iran's nuclear program, the war in Gaza, the expected peace talks in Turkey and oil prices are also being discussed during the trip. Trump has expressed his intention to participate in possible talks between Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky in Turkey ( thesun.co.uk ).
Qatar has announced it will gift Trump a $400 million Boeing 747-8 aircraft. The aircraft could be used temporarily as a new Air Force One and then be transferred to the Trump presidential library. The gift is causing political controversy in the US ( theguardian.com ).
Trump's Middle East trip is aimed at strengthening US influence in the region, developing ties with Saudi Arabia, and reaching new agreements on global issues. He is already launching a wide-ranging political and economic initiative in the first leg of his trip.
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