According to an Axios report on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to visit Saudi Arabia in mid-May. This visit would mark Trump's first foreign trip during his second presidential term, potentially setting the tone for his renewed foreign policy agenda.
Read Also...:
Iranian president sacks deputy for 'lavish' Antarctic cruise
04-06, 2025
Denying two MPs entry to Israel 'unacceptable', says Lammy
04-06, 2025
Israeli strikes in Syria a challenge to Turkey
04-06, 2025
Turkish foreign minister says Ankara wants no conflict with Israel in Syria
04-06, 2025Saudi Arabia's 39-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is at the center of many foreign policy issues that Trump hopes to address, encompassing Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. If Trump visits Saudi Arabia in May, the timing roughly coincides with his self-imposed deadline for Iran to begin nuclear negotiations. Riyadh supported the first Trump administration's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal but has since repaired relations with Tehran, navigating a complex geopolitical landscape.
Saudi Arabia has also been hosting direct talks between the United States and Russia regarding ending the war in Ukraine. Trump's decision to strengthen relations with Russia has shocked the Washington establishment, but progress on achieving a ceasefire has been slow. Trump stated over the weekend that he is "very angry" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threatened to impose secondary oil sanctions on purchasers of Russian energy, signaling a potential shift in his approach.
Trump has also stated that he wants to expand the 2020 Abraham Accords, which were achieved during his first term. The Biden administration has been in talks with Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, but these talks were derailed by the Hamas-led October 7 attack on southern Israel. The Crown Prince has publicly stated that Israel has committed "genocide" in Gaza. U.S. diplomats and analysts are attempting to interpret how much of the Crown Prince's rhetoric is for domestic consumption and how much is a negotiating tactic, weighing the complexities of regional politics.
Saudi Arabia now states that a Palestinian state must be established before relations with Israel can be normalized. U.S. and Arab officials have stated that Trump hopes to win a Nobel Peace Prize by brokering a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This past February, the Saudi Kingdom held a summit with Egypt, Jordan, and other Gulf states regarding the reconstruction of Gaza as an alternative to Trump's plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza. However, Gulf states are divided on the $53 billion reconstruction plan led by Egypt, with the UAE lobbying the U.S. against it, highlighting the challenges in regional cooperation.
Trump stated in early March that he plans to travel to Saudi Arabia for his first foreign visit after Saudi Arabia agreed to invest $1 trillion in the United States. "I made a deal with Saudi Arabia... I said if you pay U.S. companies $1 trillion, I'll go, meaning buy $1 trillion over four years, and they've already agreed to do that," Trump told reporters. Saudi Arabia was also the first country Trump visited during his first term in May 2017, a visit that reportedly strengthened relations between the two countries. Saudi Arabia has not yet confirmed Trump's claim about the $1 trillion investment, leaving the details of the agreement somewhat unclear.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman maintained close ties with Trump's inner circle during Trump's first term. He formed a friendship with Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, later investing in his private equity group, Affinity Partners. Despite this history, relations between a second Trump administration and Saudi Arabia had remained a point of contention until recently. Earlier this year, the Saudi Kingdom ignored Trump's calls to increase oil production. Trump stated that cheaper oil prices were needed to end the war in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia and other oil producers belonging to a coalition called Opec+ plan to increase production starting in April, potentially impacting global energy markets.
Until recently, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states had prevented the U.S. from launching attacks against Yemen's Houthi rebels from their airbases. Earlier this month, the U.S. launched a deadly strike in Yemen. A U.S. defense official recently told Middle East Eye (MEE) that the U.S. had obtained permission from the Gulf states, suggesting a shift in regional dynamics and cooperation on security matters.
