RELIVE: President Trump Begins Gulf Tour with Visit to Saudi Arabia

Leaders-Mena Magazine provided live coverage of US President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

 

21:35 President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are attending a state dinner in Diriyah.

21:20 After addressing a US-Saudi investment summit, President Trump is now visiting Diriyah and is being guided around the historic district by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Later this evening, Trump will attend an official state banquet.

21:10 President Trump has left in a golf cart, which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is driving, for the state dinner in Diriyah.

21:00 President Trump arrives in Diriyah, greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders pose for photos at historic Salwa Palace as local musicians perform. The crown prince will present plans to develop the old city, an aide confirmed.

20:35 Donald Trump is expected to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, a White House official said.

20:30 President Trump’s motorcade arrived at Diriyah, the 300-year-old UNESCO-listed site near Riyadh that once housed the first Saudi dynasty. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will lead a tour of the planned $60 billion development project here. Journalists observed from a bridge as men in traditional white thobes stood alongside Arabian horses, waving US and Saudi flags, a symbolic nod to bilateral ties.

20:00 The White House says that Saudi firm DataVolt plans a $20 billion AI investment in the US, adding that Google, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD and Uber will invest $80 billion in transformative technologies in US and Saudi Arabia.

19:25 Trump reiterates that the US will cease military operations against the Houthis in Yemen, following over 1,100 strikes since mid-March.

19:25 President Trump announced he is ordering an end to sanctions against Syria, prompting sustained applause from the audience. The crowd gave a standing ovation as he explained, “I made the decision after discussing the situation in Syria with the crown prince, your crown prince, and also with President Erdogan of Turkey, who called me the other day and asked for a very similar thing. Good luck, Syria. Show us something very special.” He added with humor, “Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” eliciting laughter.

19:20 Trump delivers a message on Gaza: ‘The people of Gaza deserve a much better future. But that will not occur as long as their leaders choose to kidnap, torture, and target innocent men, women, and children for political ends.’

19:15 Trump now brings up the war in Ukraine and other global conflicts, and says that his senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Istanbul on Thursday for talks on how to end the fighting.

19:10 President Trump’s speech took a serious tone as he addressed Iran, stating, “The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran, which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, and beyond.” He offered Iran “a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future,” while firmly asserting that they would never possess a nuclear weapon. “The time is right now for them to choose,” he emphasized.

19:00 President Trump announces that the US is adding $1 trillion in investment with his visit to the Middle East, stating that, in addition to purchases of $142 billion of US-made military equipment, there will also be multibillion-dollar deals with Amazon, Oracle, AMD, Uber, Johnson & Johnson, and more.

18:55 President Trump shifted focus to domestic priorities, declaring Congress “in good shape” to pass the tax bill and defending his administration’s economic and immigration policies. Emphasizing economic growth, he asserted, “The days of economic misery under the last administration are rapidly giving way to the greatest economy in the history of the world”. The crowd gave Trump a standing ovation as he declared that Riyadh had become a major global business and tech capital, he remarked, “Critics doubted it was possible, what you’ve done, but over the past eight years, Saudi Arabia has proved the critics totally wrong.”

18:45 President Trump opened his speech by calling it a “tremendous honour” to be in Saudi Arabia, praising the kingdom as “a great place” with “great people.” He described Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as “an incredible man,” saying “there is no one like him,” and added that the US-Saudi relationship is “more powerful” than ever before.

18:20 President Donald Trump has just been given a tour of the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He is scheduled to speak at an investment summit being held there shortly.

18:10 President Donald Trump has just arrived at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh. He is scheduled to speak alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

18:05 Elon Musk has taken to the stage to speak, as the Tesla and SpaceX owner thanks Saudi Arabia for approving his Starlink satellite services for maritime and aviation uses.

18:00 The White House says President Trump has secured investment deals worth $600 billion with the Saudi government and companies during his Riyadh visit.

17:50 Elon Musk is going to speak for 15 minutes to keep the crowd at the business forum entertained while they wait for Trump to arrive.

17:00 Following today’s engagements, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the ongoing Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum at a conference center in Riyadh, underscoring bilateral economic collaboration. His itinerary will then proceed to Diriyah At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the outskirts of the capital, where he will tour the historic area before being hosted by Saudi leadership at an official state banquet to conclude his engagements for the day.

16:45 The U.S. President has just departed the Royal Court following the signing ceremony. He was escorted to his vehicle by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

16:20 In a significant development, Saudi Arabia and the United States have inked multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) spanning critical sectors including mining, mineral resources, energy, and security-technology partnerships. Additionally, both nations formalized an executive agreement in space exploration and updated their bilateral civil aviation accord to enhance air connectivity.

16:15 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Trump have just signed a strategic economic partnership deal.

15:30 President Trump praises Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a bilateral meeting, emphasizing economic collaboration and strengthening U.S.-Saudi ties, highlighting their “tremendous relationship,” stating, “I really believe we like each other a lot,” and called the visit an “honor”

14:30 Official talks between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Donald Trump are now underway at Al-Yamamah Palace

12:40 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets officials and members of the US delegation accompanying Trump during his visit.

12:30 Trump is greeting Saudi officials in the Royal Court following his discussions with the Crown Prince.

12:25 Discussions are underway between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. President Trump at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, as tea is being served.

12:20 US President Donald Trump arrives at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh for an official welcome ceremony, where he is greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The official ceremony begins with an orchestra playing the US national anthem.

11:45 Trump and the Saudi crown prince are set to attend a Royal Court luncheon today. Major business leaders, including Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock’s Larry Fink and Tesla’s Elon Musk, will join them. Later, Prince Mohammed will host a formal dinner for the president, who will also address the Saudi-US investment conference in Riyadh.

11:30 President Trump arrived in Riyadh with high-level delegation, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other senior officials. Adding to the high-profile attendees, a group of top CEOs arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi-US Investment Forum. These included Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and the CEOs of Blackrock, Citigroup, IBM, Boeing, and Delta Airlines.

11:00 Ahead of his Saudi Arabia visit earlier this week, Trump teased a “monumental statement,” calling it the “largest in decades” and “very positive”. Separately, US officials revealed Trump plans to rename the Persian Gulf the “Arabian Gulf” during his Riyadh stopover.

10:40 In moments, a Saudi-US summit will convene at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

10:30 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the US President shared a brief break in the airport’s VIP lounge, exchanging friendly conversations while enjoying Saudi coffee.

10:25 Saudi Crown Prince welcomes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the accompanying delegation after Trump’s arrival at King Khalid Airport in Riyadh.

10:15 Trump shakes hands with Saudi delegation, headed by Crown Prince, on the purple carpet in the presence of dignitaries and security officials—swordsmen and honor guard line his path to Riyadh summit.

10:14 President Trump steps off Air Force One, warmly welcomed by Saudi officials on the tarmac, and is greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

09:51 Air Force One touches down in Riyadh, kicking off the US president’s first major international tour of his second term.

09:30 Trump is traveling on Air Force One, the iconic symbol of the U.S. presidency. Technically, Air Force One is the call sign for any U.S. Air Force plane carrying the president; however, it is most commonly associated with the two modified Boeing 747 jets known as VC-25As, which entered service in 1990 and are famous for their classic blue and white design.

09:00 The US President will attend the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum is set to feature top business leaders, including Elon Musk and CEOs from major firms like BlackRock and Citigroup.

08:00 Trump is expected to focus on securing significant investments from Gulf states to bolster the U.S. economy, in addition to discussing tensions in the regions.

07:00 US President Donald Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, marking the start of his historic four-day Gulf tour that will also include stops in Qatar and the UAE