United States President Donald Trump reached Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, kicking off a Gulf tour that will also include stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. This visit marks his first major international trip of his second term, with the White House stating that the US president looked forward to a "historic return" to the region. Eight years ago Trump selected Saudi Arabia for his inaugural overseas visit, where he captured headlines by posing with a glowing orb and participating in a traditional sword dance.  

His decision to return to the Gulf states, rather than traditional Western allies, highlights their growing geopolitical significance and the importance of his business interests in the region. In the days before the trip, the White House played an instrumental part in hammering out a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and holding another round of nuclear talks with Iran. But the focus during the tour of the Gulf will likely be locking down business agreements. 

"White House sources have indicated that the president will focus on 'deals'," wrote Daniel B. Shapiro, a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump will promote a vision where "extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges". Talk of returning to the kingdom has been circulating for months, with Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowing to pour $600 billion into US trade and investments. 

"I'll be asking the crown prince, who's a fantastic guy, to round it out to around one trillion. I think they'll do that because we've been very good to them," Trump said in response to the offer. According to a Saudi official close to the defence ministry, Riyadh will push for securing the latest US F-35 fighter jets along with state-of-the-art air defence systems worth billions of dollars. "We will condition that the deliveries take place during Trump's term," the source told AFP.

Temporary 'gift' On the ground in Saudi Arabia, residents expressed mixed feelings about what the trip would mean. "I expect that this visit will result in political decisions that will matter to the whole region," Khalifa Oneizi, a 47-year-old Riyadh resident, told. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)