Donald Trump receives warm welcome in Saudi Arabia, participates in traditional sword dance
Trump along with other male White House officials participated in a ceremonial sword dance in Saudi Arabia outside the Murabba Palace at a welcome ceremony ahead of a banquet.
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The White House announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday as President Donald Trump took his first steps on the world stage, looking to leave mounting troubles behind at home. Trump (R) and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday. AFP
The $110 billion deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services came at the start of an eight-day foreign tour that will also take Trump to Jerusalem, the Vatican and meetings with leaders in Europe. AFP
The US president was given a warm welcome in the oil-rich kingdom — a mood in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building after fresh claims over his team's alleged links to Moscow. Trump received the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud medal from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (R) at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on 20 May, 2017. AFP
Trump and US first lady Melania Trump were greeted by King Salman as they disembarked at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday morning. AFP
Trump and his wife, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair as Saudi women are required to do, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with the 81-year-old king. AFP
UTrump in 2015 criticised then-first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf during a visit to Saudi Arabia, saying on Twitter that her hosts had been "insulted". AFP
US President Donald Trump (L) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh. AFP
Trump along with other male White House officials participated in a ceremonial sword dance in Saudi Arabia outside the Murabba Palace at a welcome ceremony ahead of a banquet. Trump, surrounded by Saudi officials, bops back and forth with a smile on his face. The traditional men's sword dance is known as the 'ardah'. The performance combines dance, drumming and chanting poetry, and it signifies the start of notable occasions like religious holidays or weddings. AFP