2017 Riyadh summit

The 2017 Riyadh summit (Arabic: قمة الرياض 2017) was a series of three summits held on 20–21 May 2017 on the occasion of the visit of United States President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia, his first trip overseas. The summit included one bilateral meeting, between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and two multilateral meetings, one between the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the other with Arab and Muslim countries.[1] Leaders and representatives of 54 Arab and Muslim countries, all members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the United States took part.[2] Iran and Turkey boycotted the summit, and Syria was not invited.

Riyadh Summit 2017
King Salman, Presidents Trump and el-Sisi inaugurate the Global Center for Combating Extremism by touching an illuminated globe of the Earth.
Host countrySaudi Arabia
DateMay 20, 2017 (2017-05-20) – May 21, 2017 (2017-05-21)
MottoTogether, We Prevail
Venue(s)The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh
King Abdulaziz International Conference Center
CitiesSaudi Arabia Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
ParticipantsSee below
ChairKing Salman of Saudi Arabia
Websiteriyadhsummit2017.org
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United States–Saudi Arabia summit
President Trump and King Salman talk during summit proceedings at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on May 20.

President Trump made his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia arriving at King Khalid International Airport on May 20, where he met with King Salman.[3][4][5] Trump then traveled to the Murabba Palace, where the King awarded him the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud.[6] Trump later visited the National Museum of Saudi Arabia.[7] In the evening, Trump and the U.S. delegation took part in the traditional ardah sword dance.

Trade agreement and arms deal
Main article: 2017 United States–Saudi Arabia arms deal

On May 20, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a US$350 billion arms deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.[8][9] The arms deal was the largest in world history.[10][8][11] The transaction included tanks, combat ships missile defence systems, as well as radar, communications and cybersecurity technology. The transfer was widely seen as a counterbalance against the influence of Iran in the region.[12][13] The arms transfer was described by news outlets as a "significant" and "historic" expansion of United States relations with Saudi Arabia.[14][15][16][17][18]

United States – Gulf Cooperation Council Summit

Trump met with GCC leaders the morning of May 21.[1]

Arab Islamic American Summit

King Salman and President Trump gave keynote addresses at the Arab Islamic American Summit. Trump called for Muslim leaders to "drive out" terrorism from their countries, and condemned Hamas and the Iranian government for their support of the government of Bashar al-Assad. Also speaking were President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait, King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, and Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia.

At the close of the summit the leaders inaugurated the new Global Center for Combating Extremism in Riyadh, intended as a centre of excellence for fighting violent extremism which is conducive to terrorism, involving a number of international counter-extremism experts.[19] To officially open the center King Salman, President Trump, and President el-Sisi placed their hands on a glowing orb in the shape of a globe, which was cause for mirth among the international media.[20]

Countries attending
The map of the countries that participated in the summit
  1.  Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani
  2.  Albania: Albanian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sami Shiba
  3.  Algeria: President of the Council of the Nation Abdelkader Bensalah,[21]
  4.  Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev
  5.  Bahrain: King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
  6.  Bangladesh: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
  7.  Benin: President Patrice Talon
  8.  Brunei: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
  9.  Burkina Faso: President Roch Marc Kabore[22]
  10.  Cameroon: Minister of Foreign Affairs Lejeune Mbella Mbella
  11.  Chad: President Idriss Déby
  12.  Comoros: President Azali Assoumani
  13.  Djibouti: President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
  14.  Egypt: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
  15.  Gabon: President Ali Bongo Ondimba
  16.  The Gambia: President Adama Barrow[23]
  17.  Guinea: President Alpha Condé
  18.  Guinea-Bissau: President José Mário Vaz
  19.  Guyana: President David A. Granger
  20.  Indonesia: President Joko Widodo
  21.  Iraq: President Fuad Masum[24]
  22.  Ivory Coast: President Alassane Ouattara
  23.  Jordan: King Abdullah II
  24.  Kazakhstan: President Nursultan Nazarbayev
  25.  Kuwait: Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
  26.  Kyrgyzstan: First Deputy Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev
  27.  Lebanon: Prime Minister Saad Hariri
  28.  Libya: Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj
  29.  Malaysia: Prime Minister Najib Razak
  30.  Maldives: President Abdulla Yameen
  31.  Mali: President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta
  32.  Mauritania: President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
  33.  Morocco: Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita[25]
  34.  Mozambique: Minister of Foreign Affairs José Condungua Pacheco
  35.  Niger: President Mahamadou Issoufou
  36.  Nigeria: Minister of Defence Mansur Dan Ali
  37.  Oman: Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said[26]
  38.  Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
  39.  Qatar: Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani
  40.  State of Palestine: President Mahmoud Abbas
  41.  Senegal: President Macky Sall
  42.  Sierra Leone: President Ernest Bai Koroma
  43.  Somalia: President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
  44.  Sudan: Minister of State Taha al-Hussein[27]
  45.  Suriname: Minister of Foreign Affairs Yldiz Pollack-Beighle
  46.  Tajikistan: President Emomali Rahmon[22]
  47.  Togo: President Faure Gnassingbé
  48.  Tunisia: President Beji Caid Essebsi
  49.  Turkey: Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu
  50.  Turkmenistan: Minister of Foreign Affairs Raşit Meredow
  51.  Uganda: State Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Affairs Henry Oryem Okello
  52.  Uzbekistan: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev[28]
  53.  Yemen: President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi
  54.  United Arab Emirates: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  55.  United States: President Donald Trump

Cancelled
King Salman and President Trump take part in the traditional ardah dance at the Murabba Palace. The Iranian government would go on employ this as symbolic of US complicity for the Saudi-led group's actions in the Qatari crisis.
  1.  Morocco: King Mohammed VI was scheduled to attend but cancelled his plans a week prior to the summit for unspecified reasons.[29]
  2.  Sudan: President Omar al-Bashir declined to attend after officials at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh registered their objections to his planned attendance. President al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes.[27]

Aftermath
See also: 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis

Emboldened by Trump's criticism of Iran, many Arab countries decided to take action against their perceived enemies. Bahrain began cracking down on its Shi'ite majority, killing 5 and arresting 286 people. Bahrain also shut down an independent newspaper and outlawed country's last opposition group.[30]

On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Egypt and Bahrain all announced they were cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar.[30] Hamid Aboutalebi, deputy chief of staff of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, tweeted, "What is happening is the preliminary result of the sword dance," referring to Trump's conduct at the Summit.[31][32]

An image of King Salman, U.S. President Trump, and Egyptian President el-Sisi touching an illuminated globe (see above) sparked a brief commotion on the Internet, particularly the social media website Twitter. Users dubbed the globe "the Orb" and made reference to various popular culture objects, such as the Palantír from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series and "The Orb of Peace" from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.[33][34] The Atlantic's James Parker later wrote that "Every presidency has iconic photographs. But there’s nothing else like this one."[35]

Noticing that Americans wanted to have their picture taken with the orb, the Saudi government gave it to the US embassy as a gift. The orb was initially put on display there, but ultimately put into storage.[36]

See also

References
  1. "Riyadh Summit 2017". Riyadh Summit 2017. Government of Saudi Arabia. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  2. "Riyadh summit discusses ways of rooting out terrorism". Al Jazeera. 21 May 2017. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  3. "Raw: President Trump Arrives in Saudi Arabia". YouTube. Associated Press. May 20, 2017. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday. It is the president's first foreign visit since his inauguration. (May 20)
  4. Rucker, Philip; DeYoung, Karen (May 20, 2017). "Trump gets elaborate welcome in Saudi Arabia as he embarks on first foreign trip". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. President Trump arrived here Saturday for his debut on the world stage [...] After Air Force One touched down in Riyadh shortly before 10 a.m. local time [...] Chatting through an interpreter, the two men sat for a cup of coffee inside the ornate V.I.P. reception terminal at King Khalid International Airport. Salman rode with Trump in the president's armored Cadillac for the drive into the city.
  5. Baker, Peter (May 4, 2017). "Trump to Visit Saudi Arabia and Israel in First Foreign Trip". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  6. "The Latest: Trump to announce Saudi arms deal". The Palm Beach Post. May 20, 2017. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. The king placed the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud around Trump's neck at a ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh.
  7. "Raw: Trump Visits National Museum in Riyadh". YouTube. Associated Press. May 20, 2017. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  8. "Trump signs largest arms deal in American history with Saudi Arabia". 2017-05-20. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  9. "Fanfare And Deals Dominate Trump's First Day in Saudi Arabia". NPR. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  10. "Trump hails huge Saudi arms deal as a jobs producer". McClatchy DC. Archived from the original on 2017-05-20. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  11. "Donald Trump to announce $350bn arms deal to Saudi Arabia – one of the largest in history". The Independent. 2017-05-17. Archived from the original on 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  12. "What's the goal of America's arms deal with Saudi Arabia?". ABC News. 2017-05-21. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  13. Lee, Carol E.; Stancati, Margherita (2017-05-20). "Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia Sign Agreements in Move to Counterbalance Iran". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
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  17. David, Javier E. (2017-05-20). "US-Saudi Arabia ink historic 10-year weapons deal worth $350 billion as Trump begins visit". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  18. "Trump signs $110B defense deal, receives warm welcome in Saudi Arabia". United Press International. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  19. "Global Center for Combating Extremism in Riyadh adopts unprecedented techniques". Al-Arabiya. 22 May 2017. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  20. Hanson, Hillary (21 May 2017). "Trump Touched A Glowing Orb in Saudi Arabia And Folks Found It Just A Bit Odd". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  21. Mansour, Massinissa (20 May 2017). "Algérie-Etats-Unis/Abdelkader Bensalah rencontre Donald Trump ce dimanche". Algérie Focus. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  22. El-Said, Mohammed (21 May 2017). "Al-Sisi holds series of meetings on margins of the Islamic-American summit in Riyadh". Daily News Egypt. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  23. "Gambia: President Barrow Leaves For Saudi Arabia". Jollof Media Network. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  24. Finnegan, Connor (May 19, 2017). "What to watch for in President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia". ABC News. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017. Sunni Saudi Arabia did not invite Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a Shiite, instead inviting the much less powerful Iraqi president Fuad Masum, a Sunni Kurd. The perceived insult was seen to alienate Abadi, a crucial partner in the international fight against ISIS, and as one former U.S. ambassador told ABC News, it betrays an American administration either too disorganized to notice or too naive to grasp the importance.
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  34. Hunt, Elle (22 May 2017). "'One orb to rule them all': image of Donald Trump and glowing globe perplexes internet". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  35. Parker, James (13 January 2019). "When Donald Trump Touched the Magic Orb". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  36. Pengelly, Martin (2020-03-04). "'One orb, slightly used': MBS book reveals fate of Trump's mysterious Saudi sphere". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2021-02-15. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
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