US President Donald Trump said on Monday he plans to visit Saudi Arabia as early as May in what will be the first foreign trip of his second term, with stops also planned in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“It could be next month, maybe a little later,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Four sources briefed on the matter said mid-May was being looked at as the timing for the trip. Trump made Saudi Arabia and Israel the initial stops on his inaugural foreign trip during his first term in 2017.
Topics likely to be discussed include Russia’s three-year-old war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza, one source said.
Saudi Arabia has played a prominent role in US foreign policy, including hosting US ceasefire talks with Russia and Ukraine.
“An opportunity for international travel for the president is something that is being looked at. We don’t yet have a specific plan, and we will provide that information when it is official,” a White House official said ahead of Trump’s remarks.
