US President Donald Trump opened his four-day Middle East trip on Tuesday by paying a visit to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for talks on U.S. efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, end the war in Gaza, hold down oil prices and more.Read More Share
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia for the first leg of a trip to the Middle East. He’ll also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though his most pressing regional challenges concern two other countries: Israel and Iran.
After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis. And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino joked that the kingdom is: “A great football country, actually for the Americans in the room, soccer, when we speak about football, we mean soccer. That’s another debate.”
Infantino spoke from the stage of a Saudi investment forum underway in Riyadh.
He also called Saudi Arabia “my country,” using the Arabic saying for “welcome” to claps from the audience.
Infantino then kicked a soccer ball bearing the logos of the U.S.-Saudi investment summit into the crowd, drawing a call from a presenter for people to “be careful.”
The kingdom will promote its own company called Humain, which will be overseen by the crown prince.
NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang said on Tuesday that his company will partner with Humain to do a “500 gigawatts deployment” with the company.
No immediate terms for the deal were discussed.
The U.S. special envoy for the Mideast and the Trump administration’s envoy for hostage affairs have told the families of hostages still held in Gaza that they will do what is needed to bring everyone home.
The two officials are next traveling to Qatar to join Trump there. Qatar has been a key mediator during the 19-month Israel-Hamas war.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy, said they wouldn’t be traveling to Qatar if they didn’t think there was a genuine chance for progress in negotiations.
Trump to visit the birthplace of the Saudi monarchy
Trump will visit the ancient mud-brick city of Diriyah during his visit to Saudi Arabia.
The city is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site and an important symbol of the monarchy that the Saudi government has pumped more than $60 billion into.
Diriyah, just outside of Riyadh, was the seat of power of the First Saudi State, which lasted from 1727 to 1818.
Today, it’s a major tourist draw that includes ancient buildings, historical exhibits and restaurants.
AP NEWS
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