Donald Trump gets lavish welcome in Saudi Arabia as Air Force One receives fighter-jet escort

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia after getting a dramatic fighter jet escort through the kingdom's airspace on Tuesday, May 13.

Journalists aboard Air Force One reported that six Saudi F-15s cruised closely alongside, three on each wing, for the final 30 minutes of the flight, according to the New York Post.

Donald Trump gets a lavish royal welcome in Saudi Arabia

Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino, shared the footage of the unusual escort while still in the air on X (formerly Twitter).

The post's caption read, "Thank you for the escort, and having President Trump’s back—We all appreciate it. See you on the ground shortly, THANK YOU!!!"

The POTUS gave a fist-pump in the air as he came out of Air Force One and was greeted on the tarmac by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

Trump was escorted down a lavender carpet to an indoor meeting space by MBS, where a coffee ceremony was hosted. 

Trump's entourage consisted of US cabinet members such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

The streets of Riyadh were lined with US flags for Trump's visit, and mobile billboards along the route have been advertising Disney's Abu Dhabi theme park in the nearby United Arab Emirates.

Trump’s packed schedule included a speech to an investor forum with tech bigwigs, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman, before participating in a state dinner.

Notably, Trump's tour of the Middle East also includes Qatar and the UAE and is expected to focus on drumming up investments for the US.

US signs $142B arms deal with Saudi Arabia during Donald Trump's visit

The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a massive $142 billion arms deal, a sales agreement called the largest "in history" by the White House.

The White House said, "The United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defense sales agreement in history - nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment."

The signing took place during Trump’s bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The defense deal includes military systems, arms, and services.

Moreover, the agreement includes other commercial deals and exports of gas turbines.

Trump's Middle East visit is centered mainly on economic issues, and he hopes to secure other major deals to increase investment from wealthy Gulf countries into the US economy.

Internet chimes in as Donald Trump gets lavish welcome in Saudi Arabia

After videos of the dramatic fighter jet escort alongside Air Force One went viral online, several internet users expressed their excitement over the royal welcome Donald Trump received before and after landing in Saudi Arabia.

A user wrote on X, "POTUS protected on Air Force 1. Thank you, Military!" while another wrote, "So freaking cool! Thanks as always for the BTS looks."

One person stated, "Awesome picture. Be safe," whereas another remarked, "That is so cool. Let em know!"

One individual commented, "Amazing just amazing. It’s so much fun watching Trump cause he’s having fun," while another said, "Good morning from the skies! Air Force One and Saudi hospitality—what a duo!"

One individual added, "I so enjoy seeing the amazing Saudi Arabia pilots perfection and security of an aircraft. Congratulations on a job well done."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.