President Trump is embarking on a journey to Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of his four-day visit to the Middle East and the first international trip of his second term. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Today, U.S. President Donald Trump will touch down in Saudi Arabia to commence a four-day tour of the Gulf region.
Accompanied by a host of influential American business figures, including Tesla’s CEO and advisor to Trump, Elon Musk, the President will first head to Riyadh, where he will attend the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum. His itinerary includes a stop in Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
Additionally, Trump has indicated a possible visit to Turkey on Thursday for face-to-face discussions involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This marks Trump’s second international trip since his return to office—his first being a visit to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral—set against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions. Alongside seeking a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Trump administration is advocating for a new aid framework for Gaza and pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a fresh ceasefire agreement.
Recently, U.S. and Iranian representatives convened in Oman to negotiate a potential agreement aimed at restricting Iran’s nuclear initiatives.
However, aside from the potential detour to Turkey, these issues are not the primary focus of Trump’s current agenda in the Middle East.
The U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are anticipated to unveil investment announcements totaling potentially trillions of dollars. Saudi Arabia previously pledged $600 billion in investments in the U.S. over the next four years, yet Trump intends to request a full trillion.
Alongside Musk, notable business leaders such as BlackRock‘s CEO Larry Fink and Citigroup’s CEO Jane Fraser will join the trip.
Traveling with the President will be Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
During his Riyadh visit, Trump is expected to present Saudi Arabia with an arms deal valued at over $100 billion, according to sources, which may include advanced weaponry like C-130 transport aircraft.
The subsequent stops in Qatar and the UAE are likely to center on economic discussions.