Trump is Middle East-bound for his first major international trip of his second term. Here’s what to watch

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 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. Arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday with stops in Doha, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, later in the week, the trip echoes Trump’s first international foray in 2017. “Now, eight years later, President Trump will return to reemphasize his continued vision for a proud, prosperous, and successful Middle East, where the United States and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationships, and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, casting the trip as a “historic return to the Middle East.” But much has changed in the global and economic world order since Trump’s first-term sojourn: The president has dramatically reimagined and reshaped the US’ role in the world in his first months in office, and the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars have upended stability in Europe and the Middle East. Still, the trip offers Trump the chance to notch a few economic wins, revel in the pomp and circumstance of presidential visits, and highlight deepening partnerships. And what goes unmentioned on the trip may prove just as important as what is said.