Trump Visits Saudi Arabia with Musk and Altman: Welcomed with Cavalry, Trumpets, and Purple Carpets
U.S. President Donald Trump has landed in Saudi Arabia, marking the first stop of his four-day tour in the Gulf region. This trip focuses on economic deals rather than the security crises affecting the area, such as the war in Gaza and Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump is accompanied by top business leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk. His first stop is Riyadh, where the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum is taking place. Tomorrow, he will travel to Qatar, and on Thursday, he will visit the United Arab Emirates.
As Trump arrived, trumpets played while he and Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman walked across a purple carpet during the arrival ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh.
During the U.S. national anthem, Trump stood at attention and then relaxed his hands for the Saudi anthem. Later, he chatted with several Saudi dignitaries.
A cavalry unit escorted Trump’s presidential limousine to the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed CEOs of major tech companies at the royal palace. Standing next to Trump, he spoke with Tesla’s Elon Musk, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
Trump – “I Really Believe We Like Each Other a Lot”
The details of the talks between President Trump and Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman remain mostly unknown. The leaders met away from the press accompanying Trump on his trip.
In one of these meetings, they were at the end of a large hall, far from the White House journalists. However, some of Trump’s comments were overheard. He reportedly called the Saudi crown prince his “friend” and expressed that they have developed a good personal relationship.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump was heard saying, according to attending journalists. He also reminded Mohammed bin Salman of his first visit to Saudi Arabia in 2017, emphasizing that Gulf investments could boost jobs and economic growth in the U.S.
Trump and the Middle East Geopolitical Chessboard
Besides his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Trump’s administration is pushing for new aid mechanisms for war-torn Gaza and urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire.
Over the weekend, U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in Oman to discuss a potential nuclear deal with Tehran. Trump has threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails.
However, these issues are not the focus of Trump’s Middle East tour, as currently planned.
The U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are expected to announce investments that could reach trillions. Saudi Arabia has already committed $600 billion in U.S. investments over the next four years, but Trump aims to raise this to a trillion.
Along with Elon Musk, business leaders like BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Citigroup’s Jane Fraser are part of the tour. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also accompany the president.
In Riyadh, Trump is expected to propose a defense deal to Saudi Arabia exceeding $100 billion, including advanced weapon systems like C-130 transport aircraft.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are likely to avoid discussing the normalization of Riyadh-Israel relations, although this is Trump’s long-standing geopolitical goal for the region.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated last week that he expects progress on the Abraham Accords—a series of agreements brokered by Trump during his first term where Arab states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, recognize Israel.
However, Netanyahu’s refusal to end the Gaza war or establish a Palestinian state makes progress in talks with Riyadh unlikely, sources told Reuters. Talks in Trump’s second and third stops—Qatar and the UAE—will also focus on economic issues.
Qatar’s royal family plans to gift Trump a luxurious Boeing 747-8 aircraft, to be used as the presidential aircraft (Air Force One). This has sparked controversy since the U.S. Constitution prohibits public officials from accepting gifts “from a king, prince, or foreign state.” Trump has stated he will donate the aircraft to his presidential library foundation after his term ends.
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