Trump to attend Gulf summit during Saudi Arabia trip: Report

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) – US President Donald Trump will take part in a summit with Gulf leaders during his visit to Saudi Arabia in May, Axios reported on Saturday, citing American and Arab officials.

Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from May 13 to 16 as part of a Middle East tour focused on defense, investment, and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, the news website reported.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman plans to invite the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to Riyadh for the summit on May 14, it said in the report.

The GCC includes the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

An Arab official told Axios that, for now, there are no plans to invite other Arab leaders, but this could still change.

No official confirmation or denial of the reported summit has yet been issued.

During the visit, Trump is expected to discuss arms deals and economic partnerships, among other issues.

The Pentagon on Friday announced the State Department’s approval of a potential $3.5 billion sale of AIM-120C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia.