President Trump, who will also go to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, has told advisers that he wants to sign deals worth more than $1 trillion on the trip.
President Trump arrived on Tuesday morning in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on a four-day tour through the Gulf, the first major overseas trip of his second term.
He stepped off Air Force One at the Royal Terminal, a special section for V.I.P.s at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Mr. Trump was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, on a lavender-colored carpet unfurled across the tarmac. An honor guard was in place.
Prince Mohammed’s presence signified the special status that Mr. Trump enjoys with Saudi Arabia. When President Biden visited in 2022 — after saying he would make the kingdom a “pariah,” before realizing he needed its help to lower oil prices — the crown prince snubbed him, sending a relatively low-ranked delegation to greet him at the airport.
It is highly unlikely that Mr. Trump will feel disrespected on this trip, which will also include stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
On his flight to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Air Force One was escorted for the last half hour by Saudi F-15 fighter jets, according to a White House pool report.
