President Donald Trump is planning to visit Saudi Arabia in mid-May 2025, marking his first foreign trip since returning to the White House for a second term. The visit aims to strengthen US-Saudi relations, focusing on securing a substantial investment from Riyadh into the U.S. economy, including military equipment purchases.
This trip underscores Saudi Arabia’s significant role in US foreign policy, particularly as a host for US-Russia-Ukraine talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict. The visit also highlights the Trump administration’s intent to expand the Abraham Accords, with potential Saudi participation, despite the kingdom’s reservations due to the Gaza conflict.
Notably, this will be President Trump’s second visit to Riyadh, following his initial trip in 2017, which was his first foreign trip during his first term. The planned visit has been under discussion between US and Saudi officials, with an original date of April 28 postponed to mid-May.
Axios reported, citing US and Israeli officials, that plans for a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia have been sidelined for now, largely due to Saudi Arabia’s demand for a binding, time-bound commitment to establishing a Palestinian state— a condition the Israeli government refuses to accept (thank God).
On March 6, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump confirmed his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, stating, “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 dollars. This time, I said I will go if you put up a trillion dollars to American companies—meaning the purchase over four years of a trillion dollars. They agreed to do that. So, I am gonna be going there.”
According to Axios, citing a White House official, “Talks will focus on discussing foreign investments, strengthening relationships with Gulf nations, and ending conflict in the Middle East.”
A source familiar with the planned visit told Axios that the Saudis prefer it to occur after a ceasefire is reached between Russia and Ukraine.
In September 2023, Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz attended a UN conference in Saudi Arabia, marking the first-ever visit by an Israeli minister to the kingdom. A week later, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi became the first Israeli politician to deliver a speech in Saudi Arabia. Karhi referenced the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, a trade route passing through Saudi Arabia and Israel, viewed as a potential stepping stone toward Israel-Saudi normalization.
Between 2023 and 2024, reports indicated that Saudi authorities were removing anti-Israel and antisemitic content from school textbooks, signaling a shift toward a more moderate stance on Israel and Zionism while acknowledging Jewish historical ties to the region.
However, in October 2023, following the Hamas atrocities against Israeli civilians, Saudi Arabia halted normalization talks. A poll conducted by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy between November 14 and December 6, 2023, found that 96% of Saudi respondents supported cutting all ties with Israel, 95% did not believe Hamas had targeted civilians in its attacks on Israel, 40% held a favorable view of Hamas, and only 16% believed Hamas should abandon its call for Israel’s destruction and accept a permanent two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.
