Trump Receives Royal Welcome in Saudi Arabia as Mega Investment Deals With Gulf Take Center Stage

President Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to a lavish royal-like welcome on the first stop of his four-day tour through the Middle East.Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted Mr. Trump as he stepped off Air Force One on a lavender carpet rolled out in a special V.I.P. section of King Khalid International Airport at the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The opulent welcome was bolstered by an honor guard, Arabian horses, and a delegation of royals. Mr. Trump punched the air in a show of solidarity as he was greeted by the crown prince.Mr. Trump was accompanied to Saudi Arabia by top members of his administration, including Secretaries Rubio, Hegseth, and Bessent. He also arrived with a number of America’s top business leaders, including Elon Musk and the chief executives of IBM, Citigroup, Nvidia, and IBM, among others.The president and his caravan of officials attended a lunch reception at the crown prince’s palace along with dozens of executives from America’s largest companies, and they will attend an investment forum where he is due to give remarks.Mr. Trump’s visit to the Gulf is focused on signing business agreements worth more than $1 trillion, which includes investments in AI companies, energy production, and arms purchases from American weapons manufacturers, according to the New York Times. He will also be traveling to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which has recently gifted him with a new Boeing airplane to use as Air Force One.The gift has raised concerns that the $400 million jet is part of a long-time influence campaign by the state of Qatar to curry favor with the American government.On Monday, Mr. Trump defended Qatar’s gift, suggesting the offer of a free plane was too good for him to turn down.“You should be embarrassed asking that question,” he said to an ABC News reporter who referred to the plane as “a personal gift” to the president. “They’re giving us a free jet. I could say no … I want to pay you $1 billion. … Or I could say thank you.”

Trump Receives Royal Welcome in Saudi Arabia as Mega Investment Deals With Gulf Take Center Stage

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