Trump has landed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, kicking off his first major international trip of his second term. Air Force One was wheels down at 2:49 a.m. ET (9:49 a.m. local time).
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.
The pomp and circumstance of the official state visit are already on display: the streets of Riyadh on the route from the airport to downtown are decorated with American and Saudi flags commemorating the official state visit. And Saudi F-15 military jets escorted Air Force One in on approach, according to a social media post from Trump deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and reports from pool reporters traveling with the president.
Later Tuesday, Trump will attend a more formal arrival ceremony with the crown prince, an introduction of the delegations, a lunch with CEOs, bilateral meetings, and an agreement signing of the Royal Court.
He is expected to give remarks at a US-Saudi Investment Forum, and later tour Dir’iyah and At-Turaif UNESCO world heritage site before a dinner with the crown 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.
