President Trump received a grand welcome from Saudi Arabia’s royal family upon his arrival in Riyadh early Tuesday. He was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a large contingent of military officials.
As Trump disembarked from Air Force One, he walked along a lavender carpet at King Khalid International Airport, entering the royal terminal alongside the Crown Prince.
According to a reporter accompanying the president, shortly after landing, Saudi F-15 fighters positioned themselves alongside Trump’s plane, providing an escort as they approached the airport.
Upon reaching the Royal Court, Trump was welcomed again with another lavender carpet. An Arabian horse rider escorted his car, with ceremonial music playing as he exited.
A performance of the Saudi national anthem followed this warm reception before Trump and the Crown Prince moved inside for a coffee ceremony attended by a large crowd.
The gathering included notable figures such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
A delegation of Saudi journalists was also present for the occasion.
Trump engaged with Saudi guests and attendees, which included Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Staff member Susie Wills accompanied Trump on the journey.
Later that day, Trump is anticipated to participate in Saudi Arabia’s investment forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre, followed by a state dinner at the World Heritage Site, Diriyah.
Saudi Arabia marks the first stop on Trump’s Middle Eastern trip, with plans to visit Qatar later in the week, joining forces with the United Arab Emirates across the Saudi border.
