Live Thread: Trump Lands in Saudi Arabia to Begin Whirlwind Gulf Tour

[mystery-ak]

Trump Lands in Saudi Arabia to Begin Whirlwind Gulf Tour



Simon Kent 13 May 2025

Donald Trump touched down in Saudi Arabia early Tuesday morning to a warm welcome by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he began the first leg of a whirlwind Gulf tour. Business deals are at the top of the U.S. president’s busy agenda that also takes in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The four-day, multi-nation diplomatic sweep trip marks Trump’s first major visit abroad of his second term with the White House saying he looked forward to a “historic return” to the region, AFP notes.

Saudi fighter jets escorted Air Force One as Trump landed in the capital Riyadh.

The Saudi royal family plans a lavish welcome for the 78-year-old billionaire, who will also address an investment forum.

The president will take part in a summit of Gulf Arab leaders Tuesday before heading to Qatar.

Trump’s visit came after he said Monday he’s ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar and thanked them for the gesture.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/05/13/trump-lands-in-saudi-arabia-to-begin-whirlwind-gulf-tour/

[mystery-ak]

Saudi Crown Prince MBS courts Trump with lavish royal welcome as president pushes for $1 trillion in investments



The Beast was escorted by men on horse back




President Donald Trump introduces Elon Musk to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud


more
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14706441/Saudi-Crown-Prince-MBS-Trump-lavish-royal-welcome.html

[mystery-ak]

Saudi F-15 warplanes escort Air Force One carrying President Trump as it arrives in Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025.


President Trump arrives at Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Air Force One on May 13, 2025.

[mountaineer]

Published May 13, 2025 10:00am EDT | Updated May 13, 2025 10:36am EDT
Trump signs 'strategic economic partnership' with Saudi Arabia
Trump enters $600 billion deal with Saudi Arabia on energy, defense, mining and the arts
By Caitlin McFall
 FOXBusiness

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a "strategic economic partnership" alongside Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The partnership included a series of deals on energy, defense, mining and space-based agreements that amount to $600 billion, and "could" help create up to 2 million U.S. jobs, said President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Roughly a dozen memorandums of understanding and letters of intent were agreed to under the new partnership. ...
https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-world/trump-signs-strategic-economic-partnership-saudi-arabia

[cato potatoe]

President Trump arrives at Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Air Force One on May 13, 2025.

It looks like the plane landed on Mars.

[mystery-ak]

Saudi Arabia Sets Up Mobile McDonald’s for Trump’s Visit to the Middle East

Journalists covering President Donald Trump’s arrival to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday observed the presence of a mobile McDonald’s set up at a press center for covering the event in Riyadh, an apparent nod to the president’s love of the burger restaurant.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2025/05/13/saudi-arabia-sets-up-mobile-mcdonalds-for-trumps-visit-to-the-middle-east/

[mystery-ak]

Updated May 13, 2025 10:36am EDT
Trump signs 'strategic economic partnership' with Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump enters $600B deal with Saudi Arabia on energy, defense, mining and the arts

By Caitlin McFall FOXBusiness

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a "strategic economic partnership" alongside Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The partnership included a series of deals on energy, defense, mining and space-based agreements that amount to $600 billion, and "could" help create up to 2 million U.S. jobs, Trump said on Tuesday.

Roughly a dozen memorandums of understanding and letters of intent were agreed to under the new partnership.

Several of the agreements tracked with previously stated ambitions by both Washington, D.C., and Riyadh, particularly when it comes to defensive deals.

While the extent of the details of the agreements remain unclear, there were deals included that had not been previously flagged ahead of the president's visit to the Middle East, like the "cooperation agreement" between Saudi Arabia and the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of Asian Arts, as well as an agreement established with the Smithsonian Institute National Zoo and Conservation Biology.

more
https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-world/trump-signs-strategic-economic-partnership-saudi-arabia

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/ShadowofEzra/status/1922263859559051613

[mystery-ak]

Trump Invites Saudis to Join Abraham Accords ‘In Your Own Time’

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords on their “own time” as he looks to bring stability and peace to the region.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/05/13/trump-invites-saudis-to-join-abraham-accords-in-your-own-time/

[mystery-ak]

Trump Agrees to Meet with Syria’s Jihadi Leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, Drop Sanctions

Soon after President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the White House said he was prepared to meet with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former al-Qaeda and Islamic State lieutenant who has governed Syria since his insurgent alliance toppled dictator Bashar Assad in December.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2025/05/13/trump-agrees-to-meet-with-syrias-jihadi-leader-ahmed-al-sharaa-drop-sanctions/

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/CarlHigbie/status/1922264057609891948

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/MattWallace888/status/1922339534563410420

[Lando Lincoln]

https://twitter.com/MattWallace888/status/1922339534563410420

Fascinating.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1922316308873367780

[American Girl]

Excerpt:
Doha, Qatar – President Donald Trump’s historic visit to Qatar on May 14, 2025, included a meeting with the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, where he praised their friendship and thanked the Qataris for their camels, a moment captured in a video that has gone viral, viewed over 1.7 million times. Conservatives are calling it “pure Trump”: “He appreciates the camels—only Trump could make diplomacy this entertaining!”




No one rides them better.


How can u not love that man?


https://www.usasupreme.com/trump-meets-emir-of-qatar-in-doha-and-his-comment-about-camels-has-everyone-laughing-video/

[mystery-ak]

President Trump announced in a speech in Saudi Arabia that he is lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria "to give them a chance."

Why it matters: Trump's announcement is a dramatic shift in U.S. policy towards Syria less than six months after the collapse of the Assad regime. The sanctions crippled the Syrian economy and brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy.

    Trump is also expected to meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday, according to two sources familiar with the plan.
    Assad's son, Bashar al-Assad, was toppled in December in a lightning rebel offensive that brought al-Sharaa to power after 14 years of devastating civil war.

What they're saying: Trump said he hopes the new Syrian government manages to stabilize the country and keep the peace and stressed he will continue the process of normalization of U.S.-Syrian relations.

    "After discussing the situation in Syria with the Crown Prince [Mohammed bin Salman] and also with President Erdogan of Turkey, who called me the other day and asked for a very similar thing ... I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said with the crowd bursting into a standing ovation.
    Trump said the sanctions were "brutal and crippling" and served a purpose at the time, but are no longer needed.
    "Now it is their time to shine. We are taking them all off. Good luck Syria. Show us something very special," he said.

more
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/13/trump-syria-al-sharaa-meeting-saudi

[mystery-ak]

Trump signs agreements with Qatar on defense and Boeing purchases
Qatar says its relationship with the US has been elevated to 'another level'
By Anders Hagstrom Fox News
Published May 14, 2025 10:13am EDT | Updated May 14, 2025 10:58am EDT

President Donald Trump signed a series of agreements with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.

The agreements involved a purchasing agreement by Qatar for Boeing aircraft, as well as letters of intent and "joint cooperation" between Qatar and the U.S. The emir also signed an intent agreement to purchase MQ-9 drone aircraft.

Al Thani said he had a "great" conversation with Trump prior to the signing ceremony on Wednesday, adding that the agreements have elevated the U.S.-Qatar relationship to "another level."

The deepening U.S. relationship with Qatar has drawn fresh scrutiny this week, both due to Trump's visit and amid reports that his administration may accept a free jet from the Qatari royal family to temporarily replace the current Air Force One.

The prospect has drawn bipartisan pushback, which Trump has met with indifference.

"Qatar is not, in my opinion, a great ally. I mean, they support Hamas. So what I'm worried about is the safety of the president," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told reporters on Tuesday.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-signs-agreements-qatar-defense-boeing-purchases

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/CaptKylePatriot/status/1922660944544518575

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922621403007754506

[Lando Lincoln]

I sense we are witnessing something extraordinary.

[Bigun]

I sense we are witnessing something extraordinary.

  

[Right_in_Virginia]

[Right_in_Virginia]

[Right_in_Virginia]

[Right_in_Virginia]

[DCPatriot]

@Right_in_Virginia

Am so proud of my President!

Makes Richard Nixon's ping pong diplomacy with China seem trite by today's standards.

[American Girl]

Excerpt:

Abu Dhabi, UAE – President Donald Trump’s arrival in the United Arab Emirates on May 15, 2025, was met with a reception fit for royalty, complete with a grand hallway lined with dignitaries and a military honor guard, captured in a video viewed over 1.9 million times. Trump’s reaction, one of rare astonishment, has conservatives on X calling it “a moment of history”: “Trump’s impressed—only he could earn this respect after 50 years of Mideast failure!”




Nobody deserves this more than President Trump.

It's rare to see Trump impressed!


DJT is a generational if not a once a century President.


https://defiantamerica.com/video-trump-arrives-in-uae-to-a-king-level-reception/

[Canuck Conservative]

Trump is susceptible to flattery. His enemies have figured this out.

That's a strength?

[Cyber Liberty]

Trump is susceptible to flattery. His enemies have figured this out.

That's a strength?

They haven't double crossed him yet.  When (not "if") they do he'll give them the horns.

[Timber Rattler]

Well, they certainly know how to flatter Trump and get what they want from him.

 

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922995639455044017

[Right_in_Virginia]

Trump is susceptible to flattery. His enemies have figured this out.

That's a strength?

Oh, you poor dear.  What we're witnessing is respect.  Maybe some day you'll earn it, too.

[Right_in_Virginia]

@Right_in_Virginia

Am so proud of my President!

Me, too @DCPatriot

[Timber Rattler]

Oh, you poor dear.  What we're witnessing is respect.  Maybe some day you'll earn it, too.

No, you're witnessing blatant manipulation.

[240B]

Oh, you poor dear.  What we're witnessing is respect.  Maybe some day you'll earn it, too.

Liberals do not understand the concept of 'respect'. They respect nothing and have only contempt.
For a Liberal Democrat all/any showing of respect is just flattery to butter up the sucker before the knife.
This is how they think. It is a different world than us.

[Lando Lincoln]

Liberals do not understand the concept of 'respect'. They respect nothing and have only contempt.
For a Liberal Democrat all/any showing of respect is just flattery to butter up the sucker before the knife.
This is how they think. It is a different world than us.

True, and profound.

Well done.

[mystery-ak]

UAE's president bestows highest civilian honor on Trump
UAE bestows highest civilian honor during president's first visit to the Gulf nation since Bush's 2008 trip
By Greg Norman Fox News
Published May 15, 2025 2:13pm EDT



The leader of the United Arab Emirates gifted President Donald Trump his country’s highest civilian honor on Thursday.

"In recognition of President Donald Trump’s exceptional efforts to strengthen the longstanding ties of friendship and strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America, I am honored to announce that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan bestows the Order of Zayed upon President Trump," a woman was heard before Trump was presented the award.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the "Order of Zayed is considered the highest civilian honor granted by the UAE, and is bestowed upon world leaders and heads of state."

"The award bears the name of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed, whose legacy of humanitarianism, international cooperation and the pursuit of peace continues to have an impact throughout the world today," the ministry added.

Trump on Thursday arrived in the United Arab Emirates for his final stop on his Middle East trip this week in a visit that marked the first time a U.S. president has traveled to the nation in nearly 20 years, following President George W. Bush's trip in 2008.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/uaes-president-bestows-highest-civilian-honor-trump

[Timber Rattler]

UAE's president bestows highest civilian honor on Trump

 

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/HSajwanization/status/1923074780514677064

[Lando Lincoln]

Perhaps.

But the world notices.

[berdie]

No, you're witnessing blatant manipulation.

I fear you are correct but being the eternal cock eyed optimist that I am....

[Bigun]

Trump used his first foreign trip to further isolate Iran, and forced Tehran to blink

In the final days of President Donald Trump's excursion across the Middle East, Iran was clearly experiencing a serious case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out.)

Tehran's longtime allies like Syria and Qatar were cozying up to the American president with lavish celebrations and salutes and ponying up $1.2 trillion in U.S. investments, shifting them further toward an Arab-Israeli-U.S. alliance.

On Thursday, Tehran blinked.

Top Iranian official Ali Shamkhani said that his country is ready to make a deal with Trump. Under the deal, Iran would agree to never make nuclear weapons and destroy their existing stockpile in exchange for Trump lifting crippling sanctions against Iran. ...

"I don't think that they bent. I think that they folded," Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told Just the News on Thursday when asked about Iran. "There was nothing voluntary.

@DCPatriot @mystery-ak @Cyber Liberty @Right_in_Virginia

[DCPatriot]

Still won't believe IRAN's intentions.  And neither should ISRAEL.

Trust but verify.  But how?  Iran's nuclear technology is hidden safely underground, site(s) unknown.

@Bigun

[GtHawk]

Still won't believe IRAN's intentions.  And neither should ISRAEL.

Trust but verify.  But how?  Iran's nuclear technology is hidden safely underground, site(s) unknown.

@Bigun

Note, Iran said they wouldn’t make nuclear weapons, they didn’t say Jack about buying them from someone else….like the Norks and stockpiling them or mounting them on ICBM’s like the one they just tested. Their moslems talking to infidels, lying o them is okay and required according to the koran.

[Bigun]

Still won't believe IRAN's intentions.  And neither should ISRAEL.

Trust but verify.  But how?  Iran's nuclear technology is hidden safely underground, site(s) unknown.

@Bigun

No argument from me except to say that I would bet good $ that WE have people inside their nuke program as we speak. @DCPatriot

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/iAnonPatriot/status/1923369862082048228

[Timber Rattler]

https://twitter.com/iAnonPatriot/status/1923369862082048228

I have to admit ---that's pretty cool!

[Lando Lincoln]

I have to admit ---that's pretty cool!

It sure is.