Saudis continue warm welcome for Trump at Royal Court
From CNN’s Betsy Klein
The pomp and circumstance of President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia continues as the president visited the Royal Court for the start of the day’s events.
A former reality TV star, Trump is acutely aware of the pageantry of a presidential visit, and his hosts provided the president with a warm welcome conveying hospitality and imagery sure to please their guest.
“This is his happy place. His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They’ll be keen to make deals. They’ll flatter him and not criticize him. And they’ll treat his family members as past and future business partners,” Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said ahead of the trip.
Trump’s motorcade was escorted onto the grounds by a fleet of Arabian horses with riders carrying American and Saudi flags. Trumpets sounded as the president emerged from his car and greeted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders stood under a covered pavilion as the national anthems of both countries were played, later walking indoors atop a purple carpet.
Inside an expansive ballroom, Trump, the crown prince, and other top officials from both countries partook in a coffee and tea ceremony, seated in plush purple chairs with gold trim. The warm relationship between Trump and bin Salman was on full display as they chatted comfortably.
Trump and bin Salman then greeted an extended list of high-level officials and business leaders ahead of a planned luncheon. Participants included the leaders of OpenAI, Amazon, NVIDIA, Palantir, Uber, Coca-Cola, Google and Boeing, underscoring the close ties the business community has worked to cultivate with the president during his second term. Elon Musk, a top Trump adviser and CEO of X, SpaceX, and Tesla, was among those greeting the leaders.
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