us president on world stage.
Riyadh : The White House announced a huge arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Saturday as US President Donald Trump took his first steps on the world stage, looking to leave mounting troubles behind at home.
The US $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.
Trump and his wife, Melania, 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 Saudi King, Salman.
Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced late on Friday that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.
Reports also emerged that Trump had called Comey “a nut job” and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had identified a senior White House official as a “significant person of interest” in its probe of Russian meddling.
Shortly after arriving, Trump took to Twitter to express his delight at being in the kingdom. “Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead,” Trump tweeted.
