Watch | Donald Trump lands in Saudi Arabia; Crown Prince MBS offers him an unprecedented welcome

US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh on Tuesday, kicking start his Mideast tour. The US President got a warm welcome at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself arriving at the tarmac of the airport to welcome Trump.

Trump was also seen walking down a purple carpet in the presence of dignitaries and security officials. He was accompanied by the who's who of American business leaders. The four-day tour of the US President will also see him visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

King-size welcome

Trump's first foreign trip since he returned to the White House was marked by pomp, as Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it neared Jeddah. The Crown Prince, who waited for Trump and his aides at the tarmac, later led him to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport where they were served traditional Arabic coffee.

The presence of MBS at the airport proves how much Saudi values its relationship with Trump, as it is typically a provincial governor or another official who greets a foreign leader on arrival. Though King Salman once greeted US President Barack Obama at the airport on a trip to the kingdom, they later downgraded it to lower-ranking officials after his stance on the 2011 Arab Spring and the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. '

During his 2017 visit, Trump was greeted by King Salman at the airport.

US President Joe Biden was greeted by a provincial governor on his 2022 trip to the kingdom.

Trump will then head to the Saudi Royal Court for an official welcome ceremony and a coffee reception, which will be followed by a lunch with business leaders. Several major business executives will also attend the event, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.

 The president is also to take part in a U.S.-Saudi investment conference that’s underway in Riyadh. "While energy remains a cornerstone of our relationship, the investments and business opportunities in the kingdom have expanded and multiplied many, many times over," Saudi Investment

Minister Khalid al-Falih said as he opened the forum. "As a result ... when Saudis and Americans join forces very good things happen, more often than not great things happen when those joint ventures happen," he said before Trump's arrival.

Though Trump's aim of the tour is to channel investments from these wealthy nations into the US, he will also face a slew of geopolitical issues. Though he appeared confident, stating that "this world is a lot safer today than it was a week ago", Trump will also have to deal with concerns over resolving the Gaza situation and Iran’s rapidly progressing nuclear programme.

Middle East