Bridging the gulf: Trump to reassure Saudi allies, promote business, talk tough on radicalism in first foreign visit
Saudi Arabia is the first stop on Trump’s maiden international trip since taking office in January and both US and Saudi officials are eager to highlight the powerful symbolism of an American president choosing to visit the birthplace of Islam
When US President Donald Trump meets Saudi princes in Riyadh on Saturday, he can expect a warmer welcome than the one given a year ago to his predecessor Barack Obama, who Riyadh considered soft on arch-enemy Iran and cool towards a bilateral relationship that is a mainstay of the Middle East’s security balance.
Beneath the pomp, Riyadh will be looking for assurances that the Trump administration will continue its notably harsher tone towards Iran and keep up pressure, through both rhetoric and action, to stop what Saudi Arabia sees as Tehran’s destabilising activities in the region.
The US-Saudi alliance has experienced turbulence since Riyadh faulted what it saw as Obama’s withdrawal from the region, a perceived tilt towards Iran since the 2011 Arab uprisings and a lack of direct action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an Iranian ally.
Saudi Arabia will also want to showcase high-profile investment deals with American companies to show progress on its ambitious “Vision 2030” economic and social reform agenda, while Washington claims US arms sales worth tens of billions of dollars are in the pipeline.
Saudi Arabia is the first stop on Trump’s maiden international trip since taking office in January. US and Saudi officials are eager to highlight the powerful symbolism of an American president choosing to visit the birthplace of Islam as his first stop rather than to neighbours Canada or Mexico.
