Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia as part of ‘historic’ tour of Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Donald Trump enjoyed a lavish welcome in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as he opened the first state visit of his second term, with the US president eyeing major business deals.

Saudi fighter jets escorted Air Force One as Trump landed in Riyadh, the first stop on a tour of Gulf states that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump pounded his fist in the air as he looked out on a military honour guard with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, walking the tarmac to shake the president's hand.

Trump will later address an investment forum in Riyadh expected to be attended by US business leaders including his friend and adviser Elon Musk.

"We have the biggest business leaders in the world here today and they're going to walk away with a lot of cheques," Trump told the prince.

For "the United States, it's probably two million jobs that we're talking about," Trump said.

Eight years ago Trump also chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas trip -- when he posed with a glowing orb and participated in a sword dance.

His decision to bypass traditional Western allies to travel first to the Gulf states underscores their increasingly crucial geopolitical role -- along with his own business relations in the region.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump signed on Tuesday a strategic economic partnership agreement in Riyadh during Trump’s regional visit, according to Arab News. 

Saudi Arabia has pushed hard to be first on Trump's diplomatic schedule, Prince Mohammed vowing to pour $600 billion into US trade and investments.

"I'll be asking the crown prince, who's a fantastic guy, to round it out to around one trillion. I think they'll do that because we've been very good to them," Trump said in response to the offer.