Saudi Crown Prince welcomes Donald Trump to kingdom as he begins 'historic' Gulf tour

US President's first official state visit of his second term in office is expected to focus on economic deals

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony in Riyadh. Reuters

Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip

US President Donald Trump has arrived in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, kicking off a high-stakes Gulf tour that will continue through to Friday with visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Trump landed on Tuesday at King Khalid International Airport, where he was received by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Typically, a provincial governor or another official would greet 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. He is travelling with Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

This is the 13th visit by a sitting US president to Saudi Arabia, eight presidents having made the trip in total.

Saudi and American flags lined the airport grounds, and a purple carpet was rolled out to welcome the visiting delegation – a ceremonial gesture underscoring the significance of Mr Trump's visit. Honour guards stood at attention as part of the formal welcome ceremony.

First official trip

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.

“I'm about to depart on a historic visit … to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates,” President Trump said at a press conference before leaving Washington. The trip aims to reaffirm strategic ties with Gulf allies amid heightened regional and global tensions.

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.

A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C-R) meeting with US President Donald Trump (C-L) in Riyadh on May 13, 2025. AFP

Deals take centre stage

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. Saudi Arabia has already committed to investing $600 billion in the US over the next four years, but Mr Trump has said he intends to push for $1 trillion.

Similarly, the UAE has announced a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework targeting US-based infrastructure, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, manufacturing and natural gas.

Mr Trump's trip, reminiscent of 2017, highlights the prominence he continues to place 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 from his last trip, the Gulf has become more self-assured and strategically diversified.

Observers have suggested that Mr Trump will find a region that has made giant strides, both economically and diplomatically.

In Riyadh, Mr Trump is expected to address a Saudi-US Investment Forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre and attend a summit with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Another top item on his agenda is pushing for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, the normalisation framework between Israel and several Arab states. But the ongoing war in Gaza has complicated those efforts.

Riyadh has reiterated that it will not normalise ties with Israel until a Palestinian state is established. Before the war broke out, Saudi Arabia and Israel were on the brink of a historic US-brokered deal, with key elements including American security guarantees, support for a Saudi civilian nuclear programme and significant concessions for the Palestinians.

The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. Israel responded with a massive military campaign in Gaza, where more than 52,800 Palestinians have since been killed, and much of the territory lies in ruins.

No stop in Israel

Mr Trump does not plan to visit Israel during this trip – a decision that has caused concern in Israeli political circles about the Trump administration's priorities.

Analysts argue that Mr Trump views Mr Netanyahu as a potential roadblock 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 also has facilitated the release of 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.