US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia on Gulf tour, eyeing major deals

Donald Trump voiced hope Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will eventually recognise Israel, in a speech in Riyadh in the presence of the crown prince.

"It's my fervent hope and wish, and even my dream, that Saudi Arabia, a place I have such respect for... will soon be joining the Abraham accords" in which three other Arab countries normalised diplomatic relations with Israel, Trump said.

Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia would commit to investing $1 trillion in the US, a key goal of his first scheduled foreign trip since returning to office.

"If you take a look at other presidencies, they wouldn't do $1 trillion, sometimes in years. We did this in essentially two months,"  Trump said during a Saudi-US investment summit in Riyadh.

The White House issued a press release earlier outlining agreements it said tallied up to $600 billion. Full details of the announcements were not immediately available.

The figure fell short of the $1 trillion Trump has said he wanted. After the press release, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said from the stage that he would work to raise the spending to that level just before Trump spoke.

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the lifting of sanctions on Syria, a move sought by the new leader whom he plans to see in Riyadh.

"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said to applause in a speech in Riyadh.

US President Donald Trump has secured $600 billion in investment commitments during a summit in Saudi Arabia, according to the White House, a key focus of his first scheduled foreign trip since returning to office.

The White House issued a press release outlining agreements it said were reached to "strengthen our energy security, defense industry, technology leadership, and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals."

The total figure matches the number Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had previously promised over the next four years in enhanced trade and investment with the US.

Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Oracle Corp., Salesforce Inc., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Uber Technologies Inc. and DataVolt will invest $80 billion "in cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries."

The US and Saudi Arabia signed a mammoth arms deal Tuesday that the White House called the largest "in history" amid a raft of agreements inked by Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.

"The United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defence sales agreement in history - nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment," the White House said in a statement.

A Saudi company will invest $20 billion in artificial intelligence-related sites in the United States, the White House said Tuesday, as the oil-rich kingdom seeks a leading role in the technology.

Saudi firm DataVolt "is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centres and energy infrastructure in the United States", the White House said in a statement as President Donald Trump paid a state visit to Riyadh.

Trump and Mohammed bin Salman signed a strategic economic partnership deal during a ceremony in Riyadh, as the US president kicked off his Gulf tour.

Trump and Prince Mohammed signed the agreement that a Saudi official presiding over the event called a "strategic economic partnership", without providing more precise details about what the deal entailed.

Donald Trump is set to visit Diriyah, the historic birthplace of the Saudi monarchy, during his trip to Saudi Arabia.

Located just outside Riyadh, Diriyah was the capital of the First Saudi State (1727–1818) and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Saudi government has invested over $60 billion in its restoration, turning it into a major tourist destination featuring ancient architecture, cultural exhibits, and upscale dining.

According to the Associated Press, Trump will be staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh — the same hotel he stayed in during his 2017 visit as US President.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed top tech leaders at the Royal Court in Riyadh during his meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Standing beside Trump, the Crown Prince greeted Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and OpenAI head Sam Altman.

The trio is expected to participate in a US-Saudi investment forum later today.

Trump’s armoured limo, known as The Beast, was flanked by Saudi horsemen carrying American and Saudi flags as it pulled into Al Yamamah Palace.

Before going in, the Saudi crown prince walked Trump over to observe an honour guard.

The two leaders then received officials from their delegations ahead of a lunch.

Tight security can be seen all around a conference centre hosting a Saudi investment forum in Riyadh that Trump will attend later today.

Police in body armour with rifles are guarding the area around the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center.

Officers with Belgian Malinois dogs are patrolling around incoming vehicles heading to the conference center.

The vehicle carrying US President Donald Trump has arrived at the Royal Court in Riyadh, escorted by horsemen in traditional white attire bearing Saudi and US flags.

Trump is scheduled to attend a luncheon meeting and hold further discussions during his visit.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk will be in Saudi Arabia during President Donald Trump’s visit, a White House official confirmed to CNN.

According to the official, Musk traveled separately and not aboard Air Force One.

A senior Saudi official said Musk is expected to attend a US-Saudi investment forum in his role as CEO of X. The forum, set for later Tuesday, lists him as one of the featured speakers on its official website.

Trump is currently engaged in a conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Seated beside the crown prince in a grand hall, the US president has Secretary Marco Rubio to his left.

Attendants in traditional attire and ceremonial gun-belts served the president Arabic coffee shortly after.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has welcomed Trump at the tarmac of the airport in Riyadh.

The two men are walking down a purple carpet in the presence of dignitaries and security officials.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday, kicking off a multi-day tour of the Gulf that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first major trip abroad of his second term.

Air Force One touched down in the Saudi capital Riyadh, according to a live broadcast, after being escorted by Saudi F-15 fighter jets during the final approach.