YEAR IN REVIEW 2017: Together we prevail: Trump’s Saudi visit celebrates a healthy partnership

JEDDAH: The president of the world’s strongest political and military power made the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia his first destination after being inaugurated as president of the US. His visit on May 20, 2017, was a landmark occasion that announced to the world the importance of Saudi-US relations.
“Together we prevail” was the slogan celebrated throughout the Kingdom, specifically in Riyadh. The streets were decorated with Saudi and US flags. Posters of the two leaders were seen on every corner. If anything, this was a clear message for the world to witness the importance of these relations and the Kingdom’s strong stance and influence, as opposed to during the Obama administration when Saudi-US relations were strained because of disagreements on policies.
King Salman presented Donald Trump with the Kingdom’s top civilian honor when the president was recognized for “his quest to enhance security and stability in the region and around the world.”
Three major summits took place that cemented Saudi-US relations and fortified them for all the world to see. The Saudi-US Summit, which featured a series of bilateral meetings between King Salman and Trump, focused on reaffirming the long-standing friendship, and strengthening the close political, economic, security and cultural bonds between the two nations.
At the GCC-US Summit, Gulf Cooperation Council leaders met with Trump and discussed threats to regional security and stability, and the building of stronger commercial ties between the US and the Gulf. This was followed by the Arab-Islamic-American Summit.
During his visit, Trump and King Salman inaugurated the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (GCCEI), which aims to promote moderation and counter the spread of extremism. The center is “the fruit of collaboration between Muslim countries that believe in the importance of combating terrorism,” said Nasir Al-Biqami, secretary-general of the GCCEI.
While the president was in Saudi Arabia, he enjoyed Arab hospitality, entertainment and coffee. A concert was held with Saudi singer Rabeh Saqer and American country singer Toby Keith. The concert proved that the two countries not only have strengthening relations in the arenas of politics, business and the economy, but also in music and entertainment.
A video surfaced during Trump’s visit in which he was instructed by King Salman on how to drink Arabic coffee. The king informed him that he should drink with his right hand, and Trump smiled and quickly moved the coffee to his other hand.
The king ended the visit with a speech touching on important points that concern both nations, focusing on terrorism and how to counter it, and abolishing all forms of extremism that lead to terrorism.