Trump confirms first foreign visit will be to Saudi Arabia as early as next month

US President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that Saudi Arabia will be his first foreign destination, with a visit planned as early as next month. He also indicated that he may extend his trip to include other Gulf countries.

“I have a very good relationship with the Middle East,” Trump said, highlighting his ties with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “He’s great and wonderful,” he added, referring to MBS.

Trump stated that his visit would focus on finalizing agreements between Washington and Riyadh worth nearly $1 trillion. During his first call with a foreign leader after taking office, he spoke with MBS, who expressed Saudi Arabia’s willingness to invest $650 billion in the US over the next four years.

According to Trump, these investments will translate into job creation for Americans. “So, they’re going to spend hundreds of billions of dollars and giving them to American companies that are going to be making equipment for Saudi Arabia and other places in the Middle East,” he said.

“And for that, I think it’s worth it,” Trump said, explaining his decision to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign stop since assuming office in January.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that strengthening ties with Riyadh was a top priority for the Trump administration after meeting Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Washington last month.

Trump became the first US president to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute summit last month during an event in Miami. He said it was “a tremendous honor” to be the first American president to do so and called the Kingdom a “special place with special leaders.”

At the same conference, Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih said his country continues to see the US as its top destination for investments. “When we look where to invest, the US comes always high as the top investment destination,” al-Falih said. “Expect that great relationship between America and Saudi Arabia to get stronger,” he said.

Saudi Arabia has hosted talks between Washington and Moscow as well as Washington and Kyiv over the last several weeks as the US tries to broker a ceasefire to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump also hinted at possible visits to the UAE and Qatar after his stop in Riyadh, praising both nations. “The UAE is very important… They have a great leader,” he said, referring to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.

A White House official told Al Arabiya English earlier in the day that “An opportunity for international travel for the president is something that is being looked at,” but added that there was no specific plan yet.