Trump departing as we speak for Saudi Arabia, the primary worldwide journey of his new time period

Washington — President Trump is ready to depart Monday for Saudi Arabia, embarking on what would be the first worldwide journey of his second administration. Mr. Trump additionally visited Saudi Arabia earlier than some other nation throughout his first time period within the White Home, bucking the custom for U.S. presidents to make their first international journey to the UK. 

Saudi Arabia would be the first cease on a four-day journey to the Center East for Mr. Trump this week.

“Final time I went to Saudi Arabia, they put up $450 million,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters in March, whereas pledging to make the go to once more ought to there be one other funding in American firms. In a name shortly after Mr. Trump took workplace in January, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowed to take a position $600 billion within the U.S. over the subsequent 4 years.

Saudi Arabia is of key diplomatic significance to the Trump White Home, particularly amid ongoing pressure within the Center East and the Israel-Hamas struggle. The Trump administration held talks with Russia within the Saudi capital of Riyadh earlier this yr on how one can finish the struggle in Ukraine, whereas the administration has sought Saudi Arabia’s cooperation on a spread of points, just like the struggle in Gaza.

However the go to can be anticipated to have some give attention to enterprise investments. Mr. Trump spoke at an funding convention in Miami in February sponsored by Saudi authorities entities, because the Trump Group has sought to increase its actual property empire in Saudi Arabia and the president to strengthen ties with the Center East associate.

“The president appears to be like ahead to embarking on his historic return to the Center East, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates subsequent week, the place he’ll give attention to strengthening ties between our nations,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned Friday. “Eight years in the past, President Trump’s first journey was to this similar area of the world, the place he launched his daring peace-through-strength international coverage technique.”



The Trump administration brokered a diplomatic breakthrough throughout his first time period that normalized relations between Israel and various Arab states, generally known as the Abraham Accords. Eight years later, because the administration has made a aim of increasing the settlement, Leavitt mentioned Mr. Trump is returning to the area to “re-emphasize his continued imaginative and prescient for a proud, affluent and profitable Center East, the place america and Center Japanese nations are in cooperative relationships, and the place extremism is defeated rather than commerce and cultural exchanges.”

“This journey finally highlights how we stand on the point of the golden age for each America and the Center East, united by a shared imaginative and prescient of stability, alternative and mutual respect,” Leavitt added.  

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is ready to accompany the president in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the State Division mentioned, the place they’ll “look to strengthen ties between america and Gulf companions.” Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth can even be part of the president on the Center East journey, a pentagon spokesperson mentioned. And Mr. Trump is predicted to go to with U.S. navy personnel on the U.S. airbase in Qatar, Leavitt mentioned.

Mr. Trump shouldn’t be anticipated to go to Israel through the journey, in a change from his first time period.

In the meantime, the royal household of Qatar is donating a jumbo jet for President Trump’s unique use as a presidential aircraft, sources instructed CBS Information. The aircraft might be donated to the long run Trump presidential library shortly earlier than he leaves workplace.