The White House publicly confirmed that President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates next month, marking the first foreign trip of his second term.
Trump’s visit to the Gulf countries will span May 13-16, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters during a briefing. Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat held discussions in Washington earlier this month to lay the groundwork for Trump’s visit, echoing the events of 2017, when the Kingdom was the initial destination of his first term in office.
Why it matters
During his visit to the Kingdom, Trump is anticipated to address Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza. Saudi Arabia has been a key player in U.S. foreign policy, notably hosting U.S. ceasefire talks involving Russia and Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia was Trump’s first foreign destination during his initial term as U.S. president in 2017. Just days after Trump returned to office this past January, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the Kingdom plans to invest approximately $600 billion in the United States throughout the president’s second term.
Read more: Trump to make first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar
UAE’s ambitious investment plans
In March, the White House revealed that the UAE had expressed aspirations to invest $1.4 trillion in U.S.-based artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductors, manufacturing, and natural gas production over the coming decade. This announcement followed Trump’s meeting with Emirati national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed at the White House.
