King Salman to meet with Trump next week

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will meet with US President Donald Trump and heads of state from across Arab Muslim nations at a summit to be held on Sunday, May 21, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The summit will be one of three forums held during Trump’s visit, which will be his first overseas trip since taking office last year.

At least 18 Muslim nations have been invited to attend the summit, in addition to the six members of the GCC, it was reported.

Trump will also hold a bilateral summit with Saudi Arabia and talks with the GCC during the visit.

The US president’s Riyadh visit is seen as a way of strengthening ties with GCC nations that were strained under the Obama administration, primarily due to differences over how to deal with Iran’s role in the region. 

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that the US was close to finalizing a number of arms deals with Saudi Arabia totaling over $100 billion, citing a White House official familiar with the matter.

The arms deals could end up exceeding $300 billion over ten years to boost Saudi Arabia’s defense capabilities, a source said.

Meanwhile, United Arab Emirates crown prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Trump at the White House on Monday, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

Sheikh Mohamed is currently on a two-day visit to Washington, DC, which will also involve discussions with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Congressional leaders.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed bilateral trade and the fight against terrorism, it was reported.