Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
Donald Trump painted a vision of a “bright new day” for the Middle East on Tuesday as he announced a lifting of sanctions on Syria, offered to bury the hatchet with Iran and encouraged Saudi Arabia to forge ties with Israel, on the first day of his Gulf tour.
On a day of ceremony, business deals and high-stakes diplomacy in Riyadh, Mr Trump lauded the region's leaders for having "achieved a modern miracle, the Arabian way" by bringing prosperity and growing diplomatic clout to the Middle East. He described the Saudi capital as an emerging “business, cultural and high-tech capital of the entire world”.
After a ceremonial welcome, a greeting by Saudi dignitaries at the royal court, and a tour of an exhibition in Riyadh, Mr Trump gave a speech to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and assembled guests setting out his second administration's Middle East policy.
“We’re still just at the dawn of the bright new day that awaits for the people of the Middle East,” he said as he praised the “new generation of leaders” reshaping the region.
President Trump's visit to the Gulf – in pictures
Mr Trump will attend a meeting of Gulf leaders in Riyadh on Wednesday before travelling to Qatar and the UAE later in the week. A White House official said Mr Trump had “agreed to say hello” to Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
In his speech at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre, the US President called on Middle East leaders to “unify against the few agents of chaos and terror that are left”, identifying Iran as the main threat. He said the “choice is theirs” on whether the regime in Tehran will accept the offer of diplomacy.
Addressing Saudi Arabia, he said it was his “fervent hope” that the kingdom would join the Abraham Accords under which countries including the UAE established diplomatic ties with Israel. He said Saudi Arabia “will do it in your own time”.
He said discussions with Prince Mohammed had led to his decision to lift sanctions imposed on Bashar Al Assad's fallen regime in Damascus. “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Mr Trump announced.
Business deals
Mr Trump celebrated a flurry of business announcements as Saudi Arabia promised to invest $600 billion in the US via deals in energy, defence and technology. Prince Mohammed said the “next phase” would involve potential further agreements to take the total to $1 trillion.
The White House said the deals include "the largest defence sales agreement in history", worth nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with weapons and services from more than a dozen US defence firms.
The US tech company Oracle said it would invest $14 billion in Saudi Arabia over 10 years, including on bringing artificial intelligence to the kingdom. Saudi oil exporter Aramco meanwhile plans to expand its refinery in the US with a $3.4 billion investment, said its chief executive Amin Nasser.
Part of the US entourage was Mr Trump's ally Elon Musk, the owner of the electric car manufacturer Tesla. He announced the company would be bringing its Robotaxi vehicles to Saudi Arabia.
Ceremonial welcome
Mr Trump landed on Tuesday at King Khalid International Airport, where he was received by the Crown Prince. Typically, a provincial governor or another official greets a foreign leader on arrival.
The change of protocol signals Prince Mohammed's desire to establish a close relationship with the US leader. Mr Trump was also welcomed by Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, the deputy governor of Riyadh.
The US President is travelling with Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth. It is the 13th visit by a sitting US President to Saudi Arabia, with eight presidents in total having made the trip.
Trump's Saudi Royal Court meet and greet – in pictures
Saudi and American flags lined the airport grounds, and a purple carpet was rolled out to welcome the visiting delegation – a further gesture underscoring the significance of Mr Trump's visit.
Mr Trump’s arrival in Saudi Arabia marks his first official state visit since he returned to the White House in January for a second, non-consecutive term. His first foreign trip was to Rome last month to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
While pressing for a settlement to the war in Ukraine, the Trump administration is also focused on pushing for a new aid mechanism for war-torn Gaza and is urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a new ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Mr Trump's tour also comes amid growing tension over Iran’s nuclear programme. US and Iranian negotiators held a fourth round of talks in Oman over the weekend to discuss a potential deal that would curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Mr Trump has previously warned that military action remains an option if diplomacy fails.
Despite the security backdrop, Mr Trump's visit is expected to be driven largely by economic goals. The US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are expected to announce new investment deals potentially worth trillions of dollars.
The UAE has announced a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework targeting US infrastructure, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, manufacturing and natural gas.
As with his last visit, in 2017, Mr Trump's trip highlights the prominence he places on transactional diplomacy and his intention to position the US as a preferred partner in the Gulf's evolving economic landscape. However, eight years on, the Gulf has become more self-assured and strategically diversified.
Mr Trump does not plan to visit Israel during this trip – a decision that has caused concern about the Trump administration's priorities in Israeli political circles.
Analysts argue that Mr Trump views Mr Netanyahu as a potential block to his broader regional strategy. That perception intensified last week after Mr Trump announced that the US would stop air strikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, following their pledge to cease attacks on American vessels in the Red Sea. However, the agreement did not cover Houthi strikes on Israel.
Mr Trump's administration has also secured the release of the American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander through back-channel negotiations with Hamas, bypassing Israeli authorities.
Mr Netanyahu ties his political survival to continuing the war in Gaza. But many, both in Israel and abroad, believe the continuing campaign serves few – if any – constructive ends.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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SERIES INFO
Schedule:
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
1st ODI, Wed Apr 10
2nd ODI, Fri Apr 12
3rd ODI, Sun Apr 14
4th ODI, Sun Apr 16
UAE squad
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Zimbabwe squad
Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THE%20SPECS
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Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
