Riyadh: US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Saturday for the start his first foreign tour since taking office.
A red carpet was rolled out and staircase rolled up to Air Force One minutes after it landed shortly before 9:50 am (0650 GMT) local time.
Trump and his wife Melania, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with Saudi King Salman.
Trump will hold talks with leaders in the ultra-conservative kingdom later Saturday and is to give a speech on "hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam" to some 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday.
The Republican president was to be accompanied by the first lady, First Daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner on the first leg of his tour. Trump will also visit Jerusalem and the Vatican on his tour.
Saudi Arabia has been enthusiastic about Trump's presidency after seeing his predecessor Barack Obama as too soft on its arch regional foe Iran and cool towards Washington's bilateral relationship with Riyadh, a mainstay of the Middle East's security balance.
Trump will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium and Italy. The trip has been billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while including meetings with Arab, Israeli and European leaders.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump will also seek to rebuild relations with the Muslim world on his first foreign trip starting Saturday in Saudi Arabia as political scandals mount at home.
Trump can expect a warm reception when he arrives in the oil-rich kingdom for talks with King Salman, but the domestic mood was grim following news that the FBI's investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia extends to a current senior White House official.
