Trump picks Saudi Arabia for first international trip in May

President Donald Trump plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in mid-May on his first international visit since returning to the White House, two U.S. officials and a source with knowledge of the itinerary confirmed, reported Axios.

Trump had previewed his plans on March 6 from the Oval Office, although without specifying an exact date. On that occasion, he stressed that his decision to return to Saudi Arabia is linked to large-scale trade deals. "I am going to Saudi Arabia. Normally you would go to the UK first. Last time I went to Saudi Arabia. They put up $450 billion," he said. He further noted that this time he agreed to travel following a Saudi commitment to make $1 trillion worth of purchases from U.S. companies in four years. "They agreed to do that. So I am gonna be going there," he added.

It is not yet clear whether Trump will meet with other Arab leaders or whether his itinerary will include a visit to Israel. For now, neither the White House nor the Saudi embassy in Washington have commented on the details of the trip.

A trip amid international crises

The visit comes against a backdrop marked by efforts to restore the cease-fire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. However, negotiations for the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia remain stalled, with Riyadh demanding a firm commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel rejects.

The visit was initially scheduled for April 28, but was postponed. According to the report, Saudi Arabia prefers the meeting to take place after a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, a conflict in which the kingdom has taken a mediating role.

However, Trump, who in the past has expressed his intention to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia, has recently had disagreements with Moscow over negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.