The News
US President Donald Trump, signing a stack of executive orders, outlined conditions for prioritizing Saudi Arabia in his foreign outreach.
He decided to make Saudi Arabia his first visit in his first term “because they agreed to buy $450 billion worth of our product,” Trump said. “If Saudi Arabia wanted to buy another $450 or $500 billion — we will up it for all the inflation — I think I would probably go there.”
He also said he was confident that Riyadh would eventually normalize ties with Israel and join the Abraham Accords.
Trump’s 2017 visit to Saudi Arabia was groundbreaking, marking the first time a US president chose a Middle Eastern country for their inaugural foreign trip. Gulf leaders convened at the summit, which focused on counterterrorism, economic cooperation, and countering Iran’s regional influence.