Trump lands in Saudi Arabia on Middle East trip - VIDEO
US President Donald Trump has landed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, kicking off his first major international trip of his second term.
Trump received a royal Saudi welcome Tuesday as he arrived in Riyadh, descending Air Force One on purple-carpeted steps to a greeting from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, News.Az reports, citing CNN.
Trump and the crown prince greeted each other warmly and walked the tarmac together, also briefly speaking to top Saudi officials before entering the airport, where they were seated in plush purple chairs with gold trim underneath portraits of Saudi royal family members.
They were joined by top US officials — Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright — as well as Saudi officials, who each sat in purple chairs alongside.
Prince bin Salman has emerged as a key Trump ally who has been involved in US efforts to mediate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. He has worked to cultivate close ties to Trump, starting in the president’s first term, and was among the first world leaders to congratulate him after his swearing-in in January.
Choosing Riyadh as the first stop on his first major international trip of his second term underscores how Trump is seeking to prioritize and empower the Arab state from its isolation following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
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