Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
Trump in Abu Dhabi: What to expect on final day of Gulf tour
Donald Trump has touched down in Abu Dhabi, becoming only the second serving US President to visit the UAE.
He was welcomed by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed and is heading to Abu Dhabi's main island on the first day of his two-day trip.
Here's what to expect:
- Mr Trump is visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, an architectural landmark and one of the largest mosques in the world
- After a short stop at the Ritz-Carlton, he will move on to Qasr Al Watan, the grand presidential palace on the Corniche, where the official ceremony for a head of state will be held. We can expect to see Mr Trump welcomed by an honour guard. Past leader visits have included a flyover by stunt jets
- Mr Trump will be welcomed by President Sheikh Mohamed and hold bilateral talks. This will be followed by a state dinner
- Various deals are expected to be signed between the UAE and the US, with AI in particular one area to watch
On Friday, Mr Trump is scheduled to meet US embassy staff, participate in a US-UAE business event and visit the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island, a symbol of interfaith dialogue. He will then depart for Washington DC by mid-afternoon on Friday.
Warm Emirati welcome
At the Presidential Terminal in Abu Dhabi airport, Mr Trump stopped to speak to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister.
Also in attendance was Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon, Advisor to the President; Dr Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President's Office for Strategic Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Office; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US; and a number of senior officials.
The plane carrying the US President entered UAE airspace and was escorted by a squadron of military aircraft to celebrate his visit. The commander of the squadron asked Mr Trump for permission to accompany him to the Presidential Airport, welcoming him to the Emirates.
Deals to look out for
In his four-day visit, Mr Trump predicted that $3.5-$4 trillion in deals would have been pledged.
Deals are expected between the US and the Emirates in the coming day. This week, the US government axed a Biden-era ruling that, from May 15, would have restricted access to cutting-edge AI chips, including Nvidia's Blackwell chip, to foreign buyers including the Gulf states.
The move will pave the way for major deals between UAE and US companies.
Our predictions of the deal are here.
Warm welcome
The UAE is home to an estimated 50,000 American expats.
As with everywhere a US President goes, they divide opinion. But the American expats that The National spoke to said they hope his push for friendship and peace in the Middle East will be the legacy of his visit, whatever their personal politics.
“I hope President Trump will have a positive influence and impact, not just for America but for everyone involved, as this area has experienced instability with the wars," said Darlene Tezdiker, 56, from Florida, who teaches adults English and has lived in the UAE for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, a former mission director for Air Force One who is now an Abu Dhabi resident has told of what it's like aboard the "flying White House".
“I’m here as an Arab-American and it feels how I grew up in the US," said the Egyptian-American Sharief Fahmy, speaking of his home in the Emirati capital.
He was part of a team of mission directors on Air Force One in the 2000s during the George W Bush administration.
"People from all over the world are working together at the top of their game,” he said.
Read more:
UAE and US working to announce AI and tech partnership
'Trump is our hope for peace': US residents in UAE buoyed by visit
Inside Abu Dhabi's Presidential Palace hosting Donald Trump
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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,400m. Winner: Al Ajeeb W’Rsan, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Jaci Wickham (trainer).
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
