US President Donald Trump will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, in the first half of the Gulf visit that also includes Qatar and the UAE, focused on business deals, even as accords on the Middle East's hotspots will likely be harder to reach.
This is the first major visit of President Trump abroad after his re-election to the white house, saying he looked forward to a "historic return" to the region.
Eight years ago, Trump also chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas trip as president-when he memorably posed with a glowing orb and participated in a sword dance.
His decision to once again bypass traditional Western allies to travel to resource-rich Middle East points to a change in Washington’s policy.
In the days before the trip, the White House had played an instrumental part in hammering out a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the release of an American hostage in Gaza and holding another round of nuclear talks with Iran.
"White House sources have indicated that the president will focus on 'deals,'" wrote Daniel B. Shapiro, a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative.
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Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi are expected to roll out the red carpet with a lavish royal welcome for the 78-year-old billionaire.
"The president looks forward to embarking on his historic return to the Middle East" to promote a vision where "extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges," Trump's spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, said ahead of the trip.
Controversy is also swirling over the president's plans to accept a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One.
On Sunday evening, Trump went on the offensive amid a wave of criticism, saying the plane was a temporary "gift."
He later called the deal "a very public and transparent transaction," and on Monday said before leaving Washington for his trip, "I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.
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