Trump to depart for Saudi Arabia on first international trip of new term

Trump heads overseas Monday

Trump acceptable to depart Monday for archetypal planetary travel of 2nd term 02:10

Washington — President Trump is acceptable to depart Monday for Saudi Arabia, embarking connected what volition beryllium the archetypal planetary travel of his 2nd administration. Mr. Trump besides visited Saudi Arabia earlier immoderate different federation during his archetypal word successful the White House, bucking the contented for U.S. presidents to marque their archetypal overseas travel to the United Kingdom. 

Saudi Arabia volition beryllium the archetypal halt connected a four-day travel to the Middle East for Mr. Trump this week.

"Last clip I went to Saudi Arabia, they enactment up $450 million," Mr. Trump told reporters successful March, portion pledging to marque the sojourn again should determination beryllium different concern successful American companies. In a telephone soon aft Mr. Trump took bureau successful January, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowed to put $600 billion successful the U.S. implicit the adjacent 4 years.

Saudi Arabia is of cardinal diplomatic value to the Trump White House, particularly amid ongoing hostility successful the Middle East and the Israel-Hamas war. The Trump medication held talks with Russia successful the Saudi superior of Riyadh earlier this twelvemonth connected however to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine, portion the medication has sought Saudi Arabia's practice connected a scope of issues, similar the warfare successful Gaza.

But the sojourn is besides expected to person immoderate absorption connected concern investments. Mr. Trump spoke astatine an concern league successful Miami successful February sponsored by Saudi authorities entities, arsenic the Trump Organization has sought to expand its existent property empire successful Saudi Arabia and the president to fortify ties with the Middle East partner.

"The president looks guardant to embarking connected his historical instrumentality to the Middle East, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates adjacent week, wherever helium volition absorption connected strengthening ties betwixt our nations," White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said Friday. "Eight years ago, President Trump's archetypal travel was to this aforesaid portion of the world, wherever helium introduced his bold peace-through-strength overseas argumentation strategy."



The Trump medication brokered a diplomatic breakthrough during his archetypal word that normalized relations betwixt Israel and a fig of Arab states, known arsenic the Abraham Accords. Eight years later, arsenic the medication has made a extremity of expanding the agreement, Leavitt said Mr. Trump is returning to the portion to "re-emphasize his continued imaginativeness for a proud, prosperous and palmy Middle East, wherever the United States and Middle Eastern nations are successful cooperative relationships, and wherever extremism is defeated successful spot of commerce and taste exchanges."

"This travel yet highlights however we basal connected the brink of the aureate property for some America and the Middle East, agreed by a shared imaginativeness of stability, accidental and communal respect," Leavitt added.  

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is acceptable to travel the president successful Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the State Department said, wherever they volition "look to fortify ties betwixt the United States and Gulf partners." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth volition besides articulation the president connected the Middle East trip, a pentagon spokesperson said. And Mr. Trump is expected to sojourn with U.S. subject unit astatine the U.S. airbase successful Qatar, Leavitt said.

Mr. Trump is not expected to sojourn Israel during the trip, successful a alteration from his archetypal term.

Meanwhile, the royal household of Qatar is donating a jumbo pitchy for President Trump's exclusive use arsenic a statesmanlike plane, sources told CBS News. The level volition beryllium donated to the aboriginal Trump statesmanlike room soon earlier helium leaves office.