Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister in US to plan Trump visit

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister arrived in the United States on Tuesday for an official visit aimed at planning US President Donald Trump’s expected trip to the kingdom later this spring, a source close to the Saudi royal court told Reuters.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud would also discuss Gaza and the status of Yemen’s Houthis during meetings with US government officials, the source said.

The trip was scheduled before last week’s US tariffs announcement, the source added. Trump’s tariff offensive has rattled markets and raised fears of a global recession that could drive down the price of oil, Saudi Arabia’s main export.

An official source confirmed Prince Faisal’s arrival in Washington but did not give further details.

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Trump plans to visit Saudi Arabia as early as May to sign an investment agreement in what will be the first foreign trip of his second term, with stops also planned in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump made Saudi Arabia and Israel the initial stops on his inaugural foreign trip during his first term in 2017.

The US president met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday and discussed a proposal for the US to take control of Gaza.

Trump’s plan has been globally condemned, including by Saudi Arabia.

Trump also said on Monday he would like the war in Gaza to stop and that he thinks that could happen relatively soon.

In Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia to the south, the United States has launched airstrikes against Houthis in an effort to force an end to the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

The airstrikes are the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January.