The visit to Saudi Arabia began with a traditional Arabic coffee ceremony with the crown prince, who is also the prime minister and the country's de facto leader.
The oil-rich kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula is the first stop on his tour of the Middle East. After Saudi Arabia, he will travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump's four-day trip is believed to be mainly about money. According to sources to Axios, he is expected to return home with deals and investment promises worth nearly 9,800 billion kronor.
When the Saudis and Americans come together, very good things happen, said Saudi Arabia's investment minister Khalid al-Falih according to AP before the trip.
Among other things, an agreement that gives Saudi Arabia greater access to advanced semiconductors may be announced soon, writes news agency Bloomberg. The information has not been commented on by the governments.
To Turkey?
Trump may also make a detour to Turkey. On Monday evening, he said he was considering flying to Istanbul to attend a possible meeting between Russia and Ukraine.
I don't know where I'll be on Thursday, I have so many meetings. It's possible, if I think things can happen, said the president at a press conference.
The statement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to personally meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has not commented on the issue.
The Middle East trip would have been Trump's first trip abroad since taking office in January. The Pope's funeral in the Vatican, however, came in the way.
Israel Sidelined
That Trump is skipping Israel - his closest ally in the region - has raised concerns in the country, particularly in light of the Trump administration's recent decisions have surprised or sidelined Israel.
Among other things, the US has negotiated with terrorist-listed Hamas, entered a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen, and initiated talks with Iran - all seemingly over Israel's head.
Another snack that is expected to receive a lot of attention during Trump's trip is the Boeing 747-8 that the president is expected to receive as a gift from Qatar. According to the US Constitution, government officials are prohibited from accepting gifts "from any king, prince or foreign state".<|start_header_id|>assistant<|end_header_id|>
The visit to Saudi Arabia began with a traditional Arabic coffee ceremony with the crown prince, who is also the prime minister and the country's de facto leader.
The oil-rich kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula is the first stop on his tour of the Middle East. After Saudi Arabia, he will travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump's four-day trip is believed to be mainly about money. According to sources to Axios, he is expected to return home with deals and investment promises worth nearly 9,800 billion kronor.
When the Saudis and Americans come together, very good things happen, said Saudi Arabia's investment minister Khalid al-Falih according to AP before the trip.
Among other things, an agreement that gives Saudi Arabia greater access to advanced semiconductors may be announced soon, writes news agency Bloomberg. The information has not been commented on by the governments.
To Turkey?
Trump may also make a detour to Turkey. On Monday evening, he said he was considering flying to Istanbul to attend a possible meeting between Russia and Ukraine.
I don't know where I'll be on Thursday, I have so many meetings. It's possible, if I think things can happen, said the president at a press conference.
The statement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to personally meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Putin has not commented on the issue.
The Middle East trip would have been Trump's first trip abroad since taking office in January. The Pope's funeral in the Vatican, however, came in the way.
Israel Sidelined
That Trump is skipping Israel – his closest ally in the region – has raised concerns in the country, particularly in light of the Trump administration's recent decisions that have surprised or sidelined Israel.
Among other things, the US has negotiated with terrorist-listed Hamas, entered a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen, and initiated talks with Iran – all seemingly over Israel's head.
Another snack that is expected to receive a lot of attention during Trump's trip is the Boeing 747-8 that the president is expected to receive as a gift from Qatar. According to the US Constitution, government officials are prohibited from accepting gifts "from any king, prince or foreign state".
