U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at the Middle East tour in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after 10 a.m., where he was welcomed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

During his three-day trip, he will also travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on reaching economic agreements with the world’s three wealthiest countries.

The trip will involve discussions about investment opportunities, and some experts say Trump may urge Gulf countries to lower oil prices.

When will Trump visit every country?

Trump arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday (10 a.m. GMT), where he was welcomed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bentman. On the same day, he plans to participate in a Saudi-US investment forum provided by leading companies such as Blackrock, Citigroup, Palantir, Palcomm and Alphabet.

On Wednesday, he plans to attend the Gulf Summit in Riyadh and then head to Qatar later that day. He will summarize it in the UAE on Thursday, May 15.

Trump's first visit to the president is Saudi Arabia

During his first semester, 2017-2021, Trump became the first U.S. president to make the Middle East the first international destination, with his long tradition of visiting neighboring North American countries.

His trip to Saudi Arabia from 20-22 May 2017 (during which he attended the Riyadh Summit), a measure designed to strengthen defensive links and ensure substantial arms deals.

During that trip, Trump also visited Israel and Palestine.

Although Trump did not go to Qatar or the UAE during his first term, he met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Tani, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Khalifa and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Sisi at the Riad Summit.

At the summit, Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz signed a $110 billion arms deal, including missile defense systems, tanks, combat ships and cybersecurity technology, with the aim of buying $35 billion worth of weapons over 10 years.

An unforgettable moment on a trip to Saudi Arabia from 2017 was during the opening of the Centre for the Global Fighting of Riyadh and Extremist Ideology. In a surreal photo OP, Trump stands with King Salman and President El-Sisi, wearing glowing balls in both hands.

What is the value of US-Gulf investment?

Sami al-Arian, director of the Center for Islamic and Global Affairs at Zaim University, told Al Jazeera that Trump has been speaking out about the goal of visiting three Gulf countries: investment.

The Trump administration reportedly discusses the possibility of accelerating investments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE before heading to the region.

“He is trying to get trillions of dollars from these countries,” Alarian told Al Jazeera.

"He has said he hopes to get $1 trillion from Saudi Arabia in terms of arms sales and commercial transactions," he said.

Suni Investment in the United States

According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the total U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) stock reached $11.3 billion in 2023.

Instead, Saudi Arabia's foreign direct investment in the U.S. stocks amounted to $9.6 billion, mainly for transportation, real estate, plastics, automobiles, financial services and communications, according to the Commerce Department.

These figures are only foreign direct investments, not other investments, such as portfolio investments or short-term financial flows.

US Qatar Investment

In 2023, Qatar's total U.S. foreign direct investment inventory is estimated to be US$2.5 billion.

According to the U.S. Qatar Business Council, U.S. companies are offered in Qatar, focusing on the fields of energy, petrochemical, construction, engineering and communications technology.

Instead, U.S. Katari FDI shares reached $3.3 billion in 2023, with investments focused on financial services, energy and real estate.

United States - U.S. investment

In 2023, the total U.S. foreign direct investment in the UAE reached US$16.1 billion.

According to Reuters, in 2023, FDI's main drivers are manufacturing, finance and insurance, construction, and wholesale and retail trade sectors.

Meanwhile, UAE FDI shares in the U.S. total $35 billion in 2023 - financial services, transportation, food and beverage, aerospace and commercial services, according to the business sector.

In March, UAE National Security Advisor Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Trump and invested $1.4 trillion in the U.S. for more than 10 years of artificial intelligence, semiconductor, energy and manufacturing.

Arms trading between countries

The United States is the world's largest arms exporter and the top supplier to Gulf countries.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia accounted for 6.8% of total global weapons imports in 2020-24 respectively, making it the third and fourth largest importer in the world.

The UAE is the 11th largest arms importer, accounting for 2.6% of global imports during the same period.

The Stockholm International Peace Institute (SIPRI) said Saudi Arabia is the main recipient of U.S. weapons. Between 2020 and 2024, Saudi Arabia received 12% of the total U.S. arms exports.

About 74% of Saudi weapons imports come from the United States.

According to Reuters, Trump is preparing to provide Saudi Arabia with a weapon package worth more than $10 billion in travel.

During the 2020-24 period, the United States was Qatar's top arms supplier, accounting for 48% of its imports.

In March, the U.S. State Department approved a large weapon package worth $20 billion, including long-range maritime surveillance drones and hundreds of missiles and bombs.

During the same period, the United States was also the UAE's top arms supplier, accounting for 42% of the country's arms imports.