US President Donald Trump landed in #Saudi Arabia as part of his first trip to a foreign country since taking office. He arrived on Saturday morning. Trump is the only American President to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign country to Visit as President. The US President flew on Air Force One to the capital of Riyadh, on a flight that covered a distance of 6,700 miles. Trump was welcomed by #Saudi Arabia’s King Salma Bin Abdulaziz al-saud upon his arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Trump's welcome
The US President received the red carpet treatment.
He then witnessed the practice of rifle drills by the Royal Saudi Air Force, and a seven-jet flyover trailing red, white, and blue smoke. Trump’s national security adviser, H.R McMaster, defended Trump’s campaign remarks of "America First" by stating, “Prioritizing American interests means strengthening alliances and partnerships that help us extend our influence and improve the security of the American people.”
Trump is set to be in Saudi Arabia for two days before heading to Israel. The US President is set to visit the birthplace of Islam, the Jewish nation, and the Vatican. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson noted that, “he strongly believes that it is the strength of the faith of people in these religions that will stand up and ultimately be victorious over ...
forces of terrorism.”
Trump’s visit is set to cement his relationship with Muslims in a move to neutralize his earlier campaign move of preventing Muslims from entering the US over security issues. The main agenda of the meeting is to address the #Islamic militants and the rising influence of Iran.
The choice of planning is designed in part to show reverence to the region after months of a harsh, anti-Muslim campaign tone.
His first overseas dialogue is expected to mount the worldwide fight against ISIS and other Islamist terror groups as a "battle between good and evil," but drafts suggests he will not use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism."
King Abdulaziz praised Trump for his efforts in strengthening strategic cooperation. He later awarded the US President the King Abdulaziz medal, which is the highest civilian honor.
A partnership with Saudi Arabia?
It will be interesting to see what the outcome of this visit will be once it's all said and done. In the continued fight against the Islamic State, Saudi Arabia could prove to be an ally in the region.
