The first day of President Trump’s maiden foreign tour went off without a hitch as he signed a huge arms deal and firmed up a critical alliance, thousands of miles away from his Washington woes.
King Salman of Saudi Arabia, eager to warm a relationship that became frosty during the Obama administration, pulled out all the stops to impress the president and his entourage.
The king, 81, greeted Trump with a handshake on the tarmac at King Khalid International Airport as military jets flew in formation overhead.
Trump is the only American president to make Saudi Arabia — or any majority-Muslim country — his first overseas stop as president.
Top aides and several Cabinet members — including son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, political aide Steve Bannon, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and spokesman Sean Spicer — are along on the trip.
Meetings, meals, and ceremonies filled the president’s 13-hour day.
see also
Trump and Saudi king jump right into meetings during Middle East visit
“A tremendous day,” Trump told reporters. “Tremendous investments in the United States. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs.”
He and the king sat side-by-side in an ornate, chandelier-adorned reception room in the Royal Court Palace to sign a series of business and defense agreements, including $110 billion in immediate sales of American arms and military equipment — from tanks and combat ships to missile defense systems and cybersecurity technology.
The deal, which calls for $350 billion of additional defense purchases over the next 10 years, is aimed at supporting Saudi security and countering Iranian aggression — a repudiation of the Obama administration’s moves toward detente with Iran.
Tillerson called the agreement a “strong message to our common enemies” that will also create thousands of jobs in the American defense industry.
The Saudis intend to “invest a lot of money in the US and have a lot of US companies invest and build things over here,” said Gary Cohn, Trump’s chief economic adviser. “A lot of money. Big dollars.”
A dozen horses flanked the presidential limousine as it approached the palace. Soldiers stood at attention and trumpets blared. “Very impressive,” Trump told the king.
Inside, he stooped to let the king place the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, the nation’s highest civilian honor, around his neck as an announcer praised Trump’s “quest to enhance security and stability in the region and around the world” and “his efforts to strengthen the relationship between the two friendly countries.”
The two leaders were seen in close conversation about Syria, arms deals, and natural resources before disappearing for private meetings.
A central goal of the presidential visit is to push back on the threat that Iran poses to Saudi Arabia and other regional partners.
At a joint press conference with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Tillerson called on Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani to restore human rights, end Iran’s support of terror organizations, and halt its ballistic missile testing.
“If Rouhani wanted to change Iran’s relationship with the rest of the world, those are the things he could do,” Tillerson said.
Tillerson said that he would likely speak to his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, “at the right time,” but that he has no current plans to do so.
In the evening, a grinning Trump joined King Salman for a few swaying steps of the traditional Al Ardha, the kingdom’s celebratory sword dance.
Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross hoisted swords to their shoulders as they tried out the moves.
Trump then headed into a royal banquet that featured his favorite dish, steak and ketchup, along with lamb, rice, and other Saudi specialties.
The Trumps wrapped up the day with a golf-cart tour of the Saudi National Museum, guided by the king.
