President Donald Trump is opening his first trip abroad since taking office, touching down in Saudi Arabia after an overnight flight from Washington.

Trump waved as he stood atop stairs that had been rolled to the side of Air Force One as it landed at Riyadh’s airport. He was joined by First Lady Melania Trump. 

Trump was greeted by King Salman of Saudi Arabia. They exchanged a handshake and Trump said it was “a great honor” to be there. 

Several jets also flew overhead leaving a red, white and blue trail.

Trump’s visit is aimed at building stronger partnerships to combat terrorism in the region. He’s also hoping to move past the controversies engulfing his administration.

Trump flew to Riyadh overnight. He’s the only American president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president. The scheduling choice is designed in part to show respect to the region after months of harsh anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric.

Trump will also travel to Israel, have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and attend the NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 meeting in Sicily.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told reporters on the plane that Trump spent the flight meeting with staff, working on his upcoming speech to the Muslim world and getting a little sleep. 
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