What To Know About His Middle East Trip

Topline President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and was received by the country’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to kick off a key four-day-long visit to the Middle East, which is expected to feature lavish pageantry and multiple investment deals. U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an official ... More state arrival ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Key Facts After Air Force One landed in Riyadh, the president was greeted on the tarmac by the Saudi leader. Trump, who was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, had an initial meeting with Mohammed bin Salman at the airport in Riyadh. After the meeting Trump’s presidential limousine was escorted to the country’s royal court by a convoy of riders on Arabian horses. A special coffee and tea ceremony was held at the Saudi royal court, where billionaire Elon Musk was among the guests welcomed by the Saudi leader along with White House crypto czar David Sacks and senior White House aide Stephen Miller and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, the New York Times reported. The specific goals of the visit are somewhat unclear, though it’s expected to center around new economic investments, rather than broader geopolitical strategy. Conflict-of-interest concerns have swirled ahead of the visit, particularly surrounding Trump’s family business ventures in the region and, more recently, the expected announcement that Qatar will gift the Trump administration a new 747 mega-jet. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . How Was The Saudi’s Reception Of Trump Different From Biden’s 2022 Visit? The Saudi crown prince’s decision to personally greet Trump at the tarmac of the Riyadh airport stood in stark contrast to the cold reception former President Joe Biden received in 2022. The former president had criticized Bin Salman over the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi during his presidential campaign and vowed to turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah” state. In 2021, the Biden administration also halted the delivery of offensive weapons to the Saudi government, citing concerns about its handling of the conflict in Yemen. But when faced with high oil prices in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Biden flew to the Middle Eastern kingdom to persuade it to ramp up oil production. He was greeted by a provincial governor at the airport and later met Bin Salman in Jeddah, where the two shared an awkward fist bump. What Is Trump’s Agenda In The Middle East? Trump will land in Saudi Arabia at 9:45 a.m. local time Tuesday. He will participate in a state visit, an investment forum hosted by the Saudi government and a state dinner. Elon Musk is expected to attend the investment forum, along with executives from Palantir, Blackrock, Citigroup, IBM, Boeing, Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines, Reuters reported, citing a planning note it obtained. Later Wednesday, Trump will travel to Qatar, where he’ll meet with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. He will conclude the trip Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, where he will meet with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan before returning to the U.S. Who Else Will Participate In The Visit? Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, CNN reported, citing unnamed senior White House officials. What Personal Business Does Trump Have In The Middle East? Multiple Trump-branded properties and crypto deals are among those in the Trump family’s Middle East business portfolio. Among the real estate ventures in the works are a Trump golf resort in Qatar and Trump residential towers in Dubai and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. An investment fund backed by the United Arab Emirates, MGX, also used $2 billion in stablecoin issued by the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial to invest in Binance earlier this year. The deal contributed to the failure last week of a crypto industry-friendly bill that would have regulated stablecoins, as senators on both sides of the aisle expressed concerns about Trump’s links to the MGX-Binance deal and his personal stake in the stablecoin legislation. The White House has dismissed concerns about any potential conflicts of interest between Trump’s official government duties and his personal business in the Middle East. “I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Friday. What Agreements Has Trump Suggested He Could Announce On The Trip? Trump is seeking a $1 trillion investment in the U.S. from Saudi Arabia. He told reporters in March he agreed to the trip because Saudi Arabia agreed to the investment, though Riyadh has yet to confirm the figure, and experts told The New York Times the amount is unrealistic given the size of Saudi Arabia’s economy. Qatar is expected to gift the Trump administration a $400 million 747-8 jumbo jet to use in place of Air Force One—what could be the largest foreign gift to the federal government in history, raising concerns it could set the stage for a quid pro quo situation. The White House has vehemently rejected any pay-for-play suggestions. Trump said Monday the plane would be gifted to the Defense Department, not him personally. He also said he wouldn’t use the plane after leaving office even though it would be donated to his presidential library after its tenure as Air Force One. What Recent Agreements Have The Three Countries Already Announced With The U.s.? Saudi Arabia proposed in January an additional $600 billion investment in the U.S. over the next four years, with the potential to increase the amount, though it’s unclear exactly where the money would go. The United Arab Emirates announced in March a new $1.4 trillion investment over the next decade in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, manufacturing and energy. The U.S. and Qatar last year reached an agreement to extend U.S. military presence at the Al Udeid Air Base for another 10 years. Further Reading Trump Says He Won’t Use Luxury Plane From Qatar After Leaving Office—Here’s What We Know (Forbes) The 3 Easy New Ways Anyone Can Funnel Money Directly To Donald Trump’s Businesses (Forbes) Key Crypto Bill Imperiled By Trump Crypto Firm’s Deal With Emirati State-Owned Fund (Forbes) Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/05/13/trump-arrives-in-saudi-arabia-to-kick-off-middle-east-trip-heres-what-to-know/