Saudi Arabia rolls out mobile McDonald’s truck in hilarious nod to Trump’s favorite fast-food joint
WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump’s legendary love for McDonald’s just got Saudi Arabia's stamp of approval.
While most world leaders get formal dinners and five-star hotel spreads, Trump appears to have been welcomed with a custom-built McDonald’s truck, rolled out just for him.
Saudi Arabia rolls out McDonald's mobile truck for Donald Trump
“Yes, it's a mobile McDonald's here in Riyadh,” i24 journalist Mordechai Wagenheim confirmed on X (formerly Twitter), posting footage of the decked-out fast food trailer.
Yes, it’s a mobile @McDonalds here in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/Y6T2EBDbQf
— Mordechai Wagenheim (@Mike_Wagenheim) May 13, 2025
The truck, branded in both English and Arabic, was parked outside a high-tech media center dubbed “Media Oasis,” where reporters covering Trump’s trip were treated to giant video screens promoting everything from Saudi Arabia’s futuristic NEOM city to their big hosting gig for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Newsweek reported.
Whether or not Trump himself planned to chow down on a Big Mac from the truck remains unclear, but the symbolism was hard to miss. After all, the man is known to serve McDonald's at White House banquets. And who can forget the time he donned an apron to hand out fries at a McDonald’s during the 2024 campaign?
Trump’s four-day tour through the Middle East kicked off with serious flair as Air Force One landed in Riyadh on May 13. The president was personally greeted on the tarmac by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. That kind of reception is usually reserved for close allies, not just any visiting leader.
Good morning from Air Force One, Saudi Arabia! Thank you for the escort, and having President Trump’s back—We all appreciate it. See you on the ground shortly, THANK YOU!!!🇺🇸🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/iGuqfCvnwt
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) May 13, 2025
The gesture stood in stark contrast to former president Joe Biden’s 2022 visit, when he was met by a provincial governor instead. This time, the Saudis had American and Saudi flags waving across the capital and a fleet of US-made police vehicles forming a tight security ring around key spots.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump gushed during a brief appearance with the crown prince at the start of a bilateral meeting.
Donald Trump's deals with Saudi Arabia
Of course, Donald Trump’s trip isn’t just about burgers—it is about big business. This is his first major international mission since returning to the White House and featured discussions about real estate, defense contracts, and jaw-dropping investment numbers.
Trump threw out figures like $500 billion to $2.5 trillion in potential deals as the White House dropped a statement confirming that the Saudis committed $600 billion to invest in the US.
Saudi investment minister Khalid al-Falih hyped up the Saudi-US Investment Forum. “Our bilateral relationship is one of the world’s most significant geostrategic bonds, with economic cooperation and business partnerships at its core, and serves as a force for peace and global prosperity," he said.
Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, added, “Trump’s trip to the Gulf is a harbinger of this administration’s foreign policy over the next four years: transactional rather than transformative, personality-driven, and crowned by headline-grabbing economic deals.”
After his Riyadh rendezvous, Trump is heading to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, two of the wealthiest countries on the planet. The goal is to lock in over $1 trillion in investment and trade agreements, per Newsweek.
