Trump chose Saudi Arabia to be his first foreign destination, how can this move be interpreted?

Informed sources revealed that US President Donald Trump intends to visit Saudi Arabia in May on his first foreign trip.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, had made a phone call to US President Trump after he was sworn in as US President on January 23. He congratulated him on his inauguration and informed him of the Kingdom’s desire to invest up to $600 billion in the United States, with the expectation that this figure would increase as investment opportunities become available.

This call was preceded by a call following the announcement of the US election results in November, reflecting the deep relationship between the two countries and between the Crown Prince and US President Trump.

Last February, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, urged the Trump administration during his speech at the Future Investment Initiative held in Miami, USA, to ease some restrictions on investments to attract more investment to the United States. Significance of the Decision:

According to the American news website Axios, Trump’s decision to visit Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip indicates the close relationship between the Trump administration and the Gulf states, particularly regarding economic cooperation and investment, as well as regional issues including the Palestinian crisis.

The report noted that Trump’s first foreign trip during his previous term was to Saudi Arabia at approximately the same time.

Timing of the Visit:

Trump had announced in an Oval Office press conference on March 6 that he would likely visit Saudi Arabia “within the next month and a half.”

Trump said, “I’m going to Saudi Arabia. Usually, you go to Saudi Arabia first.” During my last visit to Saudi Arabia, they pumped $450 billion,” pointing to the trillion-dollar benefits that American companies could reap from this potential visit.

According to US officials, the potential trip was discussed in recent weeks between senior US officials and their Saudi counterparts, on the sidelines of talks on the war in Ukraine held in Saudi Arabia.

A source familiar with the plans said that one of the dates discussed for the visit was April 28, but it was postponed. A US official and a source familiar with the plans said that the current plan is for Trump to travel to Saudi Arabia in mid-May.

A Trump administration official stated that planning for a visit to Saudi Arabia is underway. A White House official said: “We are currently studying the possibility of the president traveling abroad. We do not have a specific plan yet, and we will provide that information when it is officially approved.”

Visit Agenda:

The official said: “The talks will focus on discussing foreign investments, strengthening relations with Gulf states, and ending the conflict in the Middle East.”

The White House and the Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment.

It remains unclear whether Trump will hold a meeting with Arab leaders from the region in Saudi Arabia, as he did in May 2017, or whether he will visit other countries in the region after that.

Ukraine Crisis:

Saudi Arabia is actively involved in helping the United States mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the three-year-old war. A source familiar with the planned visit said the Saudis want the visit to take place after a ceasefire is reached between Russia and Ukraine.