U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign stop of his second term, with a high-stakes visit expected in mid-May, according to Axios, citing U.S. officials and a source familiar with the trip.
Donald Trump © Mena Today
U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign stop of his second term, with a high-stakes visit expected in mid-May, according to Axios, citing U.S. officials and a source familiar with the trip.
The visit signals Riyadh’s growing centrality in U.S. foreign policy, as the Gulf powerhouse emerges as a key player in Trump’s geopolitical strategy. Saudi Arabia has recently hosted indirect talks between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine in a push for a ceasefire, and Washington sees Riyadh as a potential signatory to the Abraham Accords, a landmark initiative to normalize relations between Israel and Arab nations.
Trump confirmed earlier this month that Saudi Arabia would likely be his first overseas destination, aiming to finalize a massive investment agreement. The deal reportedly includes up to $1 trillion in Saudi funds for the U.S. economy — spanning military hardware, infrastructure, and tech partnerships.
Speaking on March 6, Trump reminded reporters that his first foreign trip as president in 2017 was also to Riyadh, where he secured a $350 billion investment pledge at the time. “This visit will be even bigger,” he hinted.
If confirmed, the May visit will underline Trump’s intent to reinvigorate U.S.-Saudi relations, placing economic diplomacy and regional stability at the top of his international agenda.
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the visit of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, calling it a provocation and denouncing what it referred to as “Israeli aggression” against the holy site.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reinforced U.S. military capability in the Middle East with more warplanes, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, amid a more than two-week-old U.S. bombing campaign in Yemen and mounting tensions with Iran.
Turkey's government denounced opposition calls for a mass commercial boycott following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu that sparked nationwide protests, describing them on Wednesday as an economic "sabotage attempt".
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
