Trump says he plans to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and ‘possibly other countries’
US president says trip will take place next month or shortly thereafter; no word on Israel stop, with talks of Jerusalem-Riyadh normalization seeming to have stalled
US President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he plans to make his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, adding that he’ll also likely make stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
He didn’t mention Israel in comments to reporters after signing executive orders in the Oval Office but he did say that the Mideast itinerary may include “a couple of other countries.”
Asked if the trip will take place in May as reported, Trump said, “It could be next month, maybe a little bit later.”
Trump reiterated that he decides to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign destination after Riyadh pledged to invest nearly $1 trillion in US companies.
The remarks came a day after the Axios news site reported that Trump is planning to visit Saudi Arabia in mid-May.
Saudi Arabia has been taking a more prominent role in US foreign policy. The country has hosted talks between the US and Russia and Ukraine as Trump seeks a ceasefire in the war, and the White House has singled out the country as a possible participant in the Abraham Accords.
But the report noted that plans for Israeli-Saudi normalization are currently “on the back burner” due to Riyadh’s insistence that such a plan must include Palestinian statehood, a non-starter for Israel.
Read: Playing down normalization prospects, US analyst says Saudis feel Israel ‘looking backward’
Trump said earlier this month he would likely make his first trip abroad to Saudi Arabia to seal an agreement for Riyadh to invest in the US economy, including purchases of military equipment.
He said on March he would probably travel there in the next month and a half. He noted the first overseas trip of his first term was to Riyadh in 2017 to announce Saudi investments estimated then to be worth $350 billion.
Axios reported the potential trip was discussed in recent weeks between senior US officials and their Saudi counterparts, including on the sidelines of talks about the war in Ukraine, according to sources.
One source said April 28 was discussed as a potential date for the visit but was postponed, while an official and a source familiar said the current plan is for Trump to travel to Saudi Arabia in mid-May, according to Axios.
The report cited Israeli officials as saying the White House has not to date discussed including a stop in Israel on the May trip.
Last week, Trump vowed more countries will be added to the Abraham Accords, the series of normalization his administration negotiated between Israel and some Gulf countries during his first term.
The Times of Israel Community.