Sawt Falasteen - Trump starts Gulf trip in Saudi eyeig deals

Saudi fighter jets escorted Air Force One as Trump landed in Riyadh, the first stop on a tour of oil-rich Gulf monarchies 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 Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, 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.

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.

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

Trump's close relationship with the Saudis contrasts with a more hesitant initial approach by former president Joe Biden, who had vowed to punish the crown prince after US intelligence found that he ordered the murder of Saudi dissident and US resident Jamal Khashoggi.

Since Khashoggi's gruesome 2018 killing, Saudi Arabia has worked aggressively to change its image, from easing restrictions on women to pursuing initiatives in new areas such as artificial intelligence.

Saudi Arabia has also increasingly exercised diplomatic clout, serving as a neutral venue for the United States to pursue talks with Ukraine and Russia.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have also sought outsized international roles, with the Qataris serving as the go-between for US-brokered diplomacy between Israel and Hamas.

- Trump's 'happy place' -

But the focus during the tour of the Gulf will likely be locking down business agreements rather than diplomacy.

"White House sources have indicated that the president will focus on 'deals'," wrote Daniel B. Shapiro of the Atlantic Council.

Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that for Trump, the Gulf "is his happy place".

"His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They'll be keen to make deals. They'll flatter him and not criticise him. And they'll treat his family members as past and future business partners," he said.

Saudi Arabia has pushed hard to be first on Trump's diplomatic schedule, with de facto ruler 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.

According to a Saudi official close to the defence ministry, Riyadh will push for securing the latest US F-35 fighter jets along with state-of-the-art air defence systems worth billions of dollars.

"We will condition that the deliveries take place during Trump's term," the source told AFP.

- Navigating hotspots -

Both Trump and Biden have been eager for Saudi Arabia to take the landmark step of recognising Israel.

But Israel normalisation is not likely to feature high on the agenda on Trump's trip, with Riyadh insisting a Palestinian state must be established before a deal can be brokered.

Israel has cut off all food and other supplies to Gaza for more than two months as it pursues a new offensive against Hamas militants.

The United States, which has quietly been frustrated with its ally, negotiated directly with Hamas to secure the release Monday of a hostage with US citizenship, Edan Alexander.

Iran is also likely to feature prominently during the visit, following the Trump administration's fourth round of talks in Oman at the weekend.

Both sides have voiced hope but the United States on Monday imposed fresh sanctions targeting Iran's contested nuclear programme.

Controversy is also swirling over Trump's president's plans to accept a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One.

Trump called the deal "a very public and transparent transaction" and said: "I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer."

D.Qudsi--SF-PST