Saudi Arabia is of key diplomatic importance to the Trump White House, especially amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

President Donald Trump embarks Monday on the first major international trip of his second term – an opportunity to shore up relations with a trio of key Middle Eastern allies and prove his might as a dealmaker on the world stage.

President Trump basked in this desert kingdom’s glitzy welcome as he announced an end to sanctions on Syria, signed investment deals with Saudi Arabia and issued a pointed warning to Iran. On the first of a four-day Middle East visit,