American tech and finance CEOs, including Elon Musk, are also expected to be in Saudi Arabia for a government-hosted conference Trump is scheduled to attend as part of his visit.
Key Facts
After Air Force One landed in Riyadh, the president was greeted on the tarmac by the Saudi leader.
Trump, who was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, had an initial meeting with Mohammed bin Salman at the airport in Riyadh.
After the meeting Trump’s presidential limousine was escorted to the country’s royal court by a convoy of riders on Arabian horses.
A special coffee and tea ceremony was held at the Saudi royal court, where billionaire Elon Musk was among the guests welcomed by the Saudi leader along with White House crypto czar David Sacks and senior White House aide Stephen Miller and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, the New York Times reported.
The specific goals of the visit are somewhat unclear, though it’s expected to center around new economic investments, rather than broader geopolitical strategy.
Conflict-of-interest concerns have swirled ahead of the visit, particularly surrounding Trump’s family business ventures in the region and, more recently, the expected announcement that Qatar will gift the Trump administration a new 747 mega-jet. How Was The Saudi’s Reception Of Trump Different From Biden’s 2022 Visit?
The Saudi crown prince’s decision to personally greet Trump at the tarmac of the Riyadh airport stood in stark contrast to the cold reception former President Joe Biden received in 2022. The former president had criticized Bin Salman over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi during his presidential campaign and vowed to turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah” state. In 2021, the Biden administration also halted the delivery of offensive weapons to the Saudi government, citing concerns about its handling of the conflict in Yemen.
