Trump’s Middle East tour will start in Saudi Arabia — the same place he began his debut overseas trip in his first term in 2017

JOINT BASE ANDREWS/RIYADH: US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday on what he called a “historic” tour of the Middle East that will mix urgent diplomacy on Gaza with huge business deals.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital and kicked off his Middle East tour.
The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun-belts.

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital. Trump and Prince Mohammed also were taking part in a lunch at the Royal Court, gathering with guests and aides. 

Later, the crown prince will fete Trump with a formal dinner. Trump is also slated to take part Tuesday in a US-Saudi investment conference.

Air Force One took off on a journey that will include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — and possibly talks in Turkiye on the Ukraine war.

Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza will hang heavy over the first major tour of Trump’s second term — but in one sign of progress, US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander was handed over to the Red Cross just as the president boarded his plane.

“It’s big news,” Trump said at the White House shortly before departing. “He’s coming home to his parents, which is really great news. They thought he was dead.”

Trump has in recent weeks seemed to cool on his efforts to end the Gaza war — despite boasting before taking office that he would be able to bring the conflict to a swift end.

He has also been increasingly at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Gaza, as well as over strikes on Yemen’s Houthis and on how to handle Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump said there were “very good things happening” on talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear ambitions — though he added that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

The US president said that he hoped for more developments on Gaza during his trip to the Gulf, noting that his tour involved “three primary countries” in the region.

“I hope that we’re going to have other hostages released too,” he said when asked if he expected further progress toward a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas asked Trump to “continue efforts” to end the war after freeing hostage Alexander, while Netanyahu said he would send mediators to Qatar on Tuesday for further negotiations.

Qatar has played a key role as a middleman in talks on ending the war.

Trump said he could change his plans and fly to Istanbul on Thursday if talks between Russia and Ukraine happen there and make progress.

“I don’t know where I’m going to be at that particular point, I’ll be someplace in the Middle East. But I would, if I thought it would be helpful,” Trump told reporters Monday.

Trump added that he thought both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin could attend — raising the prospect of a landmark summit.

Trump’s Middle East tour will start in Saudi Arabia — the same place he began his debut overseas trip in his first term in 2017, and memorably posed over a glowing orb with the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

But on that occasion he also visited Israel, whereas this time it is not on the itinerary.

His decision to once more bypass traditional Western allies to visit the Gulf states underscores their pivotal geopolitical role — as well as his own business ties there.