US president arrives in Saudi Arabia, meets MBS

Trump facing ‘tremendous criticism’ over Gulf business ventures
Many in the US argue Trump is using this trip for his own personal gain.

It is no secret that Trump sees this areas particularly as a real estate developer, as a big open area that is ripe for development – it is a developer’s dream.

In all three of the stops he’ll be making, he has personal investments. He has properties and his sons have cryptocurrency and real estate ventures. Just weeks ago, Trump’s sons were in these very nations advocating for these very ventures.

The White House insists Trump is doing this for the US people, that’s it’s not for personal gain, but it is really hard to argue there will not also be personal gain. That has opened him up to tremendous criticism by the opposition Democrats.

Gulf leaders likely to drive home message that ‘Arab world does not take Gaza lightly’
Trump’s trip to the Gulf is likely to show him that “the Arab world does not take Gaza lightly” and push him to explore alternative ways to end the 19-month war, says Sultan Barakat, senior professor in public policy at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

Working with Arab states on Gaza could not only help end the bloodshed, but bring “massive economic benefits” that appeal to Trump, according to Barakat.

If Trump wants to be a peacemaker, he says, “this is one of the issues he’s got to tackle”.

“He cannot continue talking about being the dealmaker, the peacemaker in the world with the blood in Gaza continuing to spill.”

Where have US presidents gone for their first foreign trip?
As in his first term, Trump is choosing Saudi Arabia for his first foreign visit as president.

Check out our infographic below to see where each US president since Theodore Roosevelt has gone on their first overseas trip:

Eric Trump says Gulf leaders have ‘true friend’ in White House
The US president’s son, who serves as vice president of the Trump Organization, has spoken to Saudi Arabia’s Asharq al-Awsat newspaper about his father’s trip to the Gulf, which he says delivers a “clear message” that the region is a “key partner in global security”.

“The era of peace will return, and the commander-in-chief of the US armed forces will be in Washington to help safeguard the Gulf’s security and stand by its people – because he knows them well and believes in the importance of their friendship,” said Eric Trump.

He added that his father has “exceptional relationships” with leaders in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar – all stops on his ongoing Gulf tour.

“I know some of these leaders personally, and I’m fully aware that the president trusts, respects and considers them true friends,” Eric Trump said.

Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE and Qatar, are all sites where the Trump Organization is developing major real estate projects. They include a high-rise tower in Jeddah, a luxury hotel in Dubai and a golf course and villa complex in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia’s finance minister Al-Jadaan touts economic progress
Saudi Arabian Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan has touted the kingdom’s economic progress in recent years on the back of structural reforms.

Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment Forum as Trump began his tour of the Middle East, al-Jadaan pointed to improvements across a range of metrics, including raising private investment as a percentage of gross domestic product from 16 percent to 32 percent, and lifting women’s employment rate from 17 percent to 36 percent.

“Saudi Arabia currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the country’s history with about 3.5 percent, and among the nationals the kingdom achieved its target for Vision 2030 with the rate being 7 percent,” al-Jadaan said at the event.