At the end of his first day in Riyadh, President Trump briefly spoke to reporters, describing the day as "tremendous."
From the moment Air Force One touched down, the President and First Lady were treated as, well, royalty. Saudi King Salman greeted them on the tarmac, where the red carpet was rolled out for their arrival.
Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/JJOra0KfyR
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2017
The Trumps were then given a tour of one of Saudi Arabia's "most opulent" palaces before the President got down to business.
We've arrived at the palatial Ritz hotel in Riyadh where Trump will be staying. Very Vegas. But with some extra exterior lighting. pic.twitter.com/9Xibrezo2w
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 19, 2017
Throughout the day, Trump had meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the deputy Crown Prince at the Royal Court. A number of business and military agreements were signed, including a $110 billion defense agreement.
The welcome was a stark contrast to the reception Barack Obama received when he visited Saudi Arabia in April 2016. He was greeted at the airport by the governor of Riyadh, and the event was not broadcast on live TV - a sign of the tension between Obama and the Saudi government. A senior Gulf diplomat told the Telegraph that the Arab world has "high hopes" for Trump's visit.
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