RIYADH: US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh yesterday for the start his first foreign tour since taking office.
A red carpet was rolled out and staircase rolled up to Air Force One minutes after it landed shortly before 9.50am (0650 GMT) local time. Trump and his wife Melania, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Trump’s daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner exited from the rear of the plane, holding hands as they walked across the tarmac.
The US president and King Salman made their way to a reception room at King Khalid International Airport, where they chatted over coffee. Melania Trump was seated to the king’s left. Trump hold talks with leaders in the ultra-conservative kingdom later yesterday and is to give a speech on ‘hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam’ to some 50 Arab and Muslim leaders today.
He is accompanied by White House spokesman Sean Spicer, economic adviser Gary Cohn and security adviser Dina Powell on his eight-day tour, which will also take him to Jerusalem and the Vatican. — AFP