Donald Trump touched down for the start of a state visit to the Middle East…and flew straight into fresh controversy.
The US President was treated to the full pomp and ceremony as he kicked off the first overseas tour of his second presidency in Saudi Arabia.
But the welcome present he has been promised will take some beating with a £300 million jumbo jet sparking anger.
President Trump is to receive a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet “palace in the sky” from the Qatari royal family to replace America’s ageing Air Force One jets.
The mile-high gift – the most expensive ever received by a foreign leader – comes after he complained at the decrepit state of the two planes used for his usual presidential flight.
They have been flying for nearly four decades and he has moaned they are not as nice as those flown by some Arab leaders, saying: “It’s not even the same ballgame.”
Qatar, which hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, offered a no-strings replacement sparking a chorus of criticism but President Trump was unrepentant, saying: “We give free things out. We’ll take one, too.
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”
The trip started amid controversy after President Trump decided to accept the jet but said it would be transferred to his presidential library foundation after he leaves office, the details of which are still being worked out.
President Trump accepted the gift despite his criticism of Qatar in the past, calling it a “funder of terrorism at a very high level.”
He was personally greeted in Riyadh by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman before a grand ceremony was held in his honour in the opulent surroundings of the Saudi Royal Court.
He described his host – known as MBS – as “very wise” and told business leaders who gathered at the palace he expected them to walk away with cheques and that money would create jobs.
President Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar where the Trump Organisation has planned real estate projects.
He is poised to break off his visit for talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Thursday should Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky agree to meet for the start of peace talks.