U.S. President Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia – VIDEO
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the first stop on his maiden international trip since taking office in January.Saudi and Arab news channels showed footage of Trump’s plane arriving in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
UPDATE: Saudi Arabia’s king presented U.S. President Donald Trump with the kingdom’s top civilian honour on Saturday as Trump began a trip to Riyadh aimed at strengthening security and economic ties.
King Salman decorated Trump with the gold King Abdulaziz medal during a meeting at the royal court in the Saudi capital.
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He said the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to the kingdom would strengthen cooperation between the two countries and help enhance global security.
“Mr. President, your visit will strengthen our strategic cooperation, lead to global security and stability,” King Salman said in a message on his official Twitter account in Arabic and English.
UPDATE: Saudi Arabia will open a digital centre to monitor the activities of Islamic State and other Islamist militant groups online, a senior Saudi official said on Saturday, as U.S. President Donald Trump began a visit to the kingdom.
Mohammed al-Issa, secretary-general of the Saudi-based Muslim World League, told reporters the centre would open on Sunday, coinciding with Trump’s visit.
Top regional ally Saudi Arabia has said the trip will conclude political and commercial agreements and will help bolster the joint fight against Islamist militants.
Saudi and pan-Arab news channels showed Air Force One on the tarmac in Riyadh in front of a red carpet flanked by Saudi soldiers.
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The White House hopes the trip will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to his foreign policy agenda.
Saudi Arabia has been enthusiastic about Trump’s presidency after seeing his predecessor Barack Obama as too soft on its arch regional foe Iran and cool towards Washington’s bilateral relationship with Riyadh, a mainstay of the Middle East’s security balance.
Trump will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip has been billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world’s major religions while including meetings with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.
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