Officials said the summit will give Trump a stage to outline his regional strategy and define the contours of US engagement in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump is expected to hold a summit with Gulf leaders during a visit to Saudi Arabia in mid-May, a senior American official and two senior Arab officials told Walla on Saturday.
The visit, which will be Trump’s first official foreign trip since taking office in January, signals the administration’s growing focus on economic ties and investment opportunities with Gulf nations.
Officials said the summit will give Trump a stage to outline his regional strategy and define the contours of US engagement in the Middle East. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is preparing to invite leaders from all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on May 13 for bilateral meetings, with the summit set for the morning of May 14. At this stage, no other Arab leaders are expected to attend, though that could change, one Arab official said.
After the summit, Trump is expected to travel to Doha for a meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and then proceed to Abu Dhabi on May 15 to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. The White House said that full details of the itinerary will be released soon.
The Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to comment.
Investments and AI, but what about Israel?
US and Arab officials said the trip will focus largely on bilateral matters, with an emphasis on arms deals, investment frameworks, and cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
On Friday, the US State Department announced approval of a potential $3.5 billion sale of medium-range air-to-air missiles and support equipment to Saudi Arabia.
The summit in Riyadh is expected to be the only portion of the trip with a broader regional agenda. Officials do not anticipate the launch of any new diplomatic initiatives during the visit.
Trump is not expected to visit Israel during this trip. US and Israeli officials noted that such a visit would likely have a limited impact at this time, particularly in the absence of progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza or a deal for the release of Israeli hostages.
The visit comes as Washington continues efforts to revive negotiations on a potential nuclear agreement with Iran. American officials said that key regional players, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, support such efforts and are encouraging the Trump administration to move forward.
This will be Trump’s second high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia as president. His first term began with a landmark trip to Riyadh in 2017, where he convened a summit with dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders.
President Joe Biden also hosted a Gulf-focused summit during his 2022 visit to the kingdom, attended by leaders from the Gulf states, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt.
