Kathrine Frich
Trump’s visit to Riyadh is the first leg of a four-day tour
Trump’s visit to Riyadh is the first leg of a four-day tour.
President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia may have delivered a historic £453 billion ($600bn) investment deal.
But social media is abuzz with a very different takeaway: the president appeared to fall asleep mid-ceremony.
Major Arms Deal Overshadowed by Eyelid Drama
Trump signed what’s being described as the largest U.S. defense agreement in history, securing nearly £107 billion ($142bn) in arms sales.
Yet online, his moment of apparent fatigue while seated beside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stole the spotlight.
“Sleepy Don” Goes Viral
Clips of Trump with eyes closed circulated on X (formerly Twitter), sparking a wave of memes.
Comments ranged from the cheeky “Sleepy Don suits him” to the concerned: “If grifters around this man had any decency they’d tell him to sleep.”
Major Economic Wins
The White House lauded the day’s accomplishments, including multi-sector deals involving Google, Boeing, NASA, and GE.
These agreements span defense, AI, aviation, and healthcare, forming a core part of Trump’s Middle East diplomacy tour.
Trump Tours Gulf States Amid Geopolitical Shifts
Trump’s visit to Riyadh is the first leg of a four-day tour through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
The trip is designed to solidify strategic and economic ties across the Gulf, especially as tensions with China and the EU continue to escalate.
Luncheon With Musk and Business Titans
Earlier in the day, Trump joined Crown Prince Mohammed and Elon Musk at a lavish luncheon.
The event was part of a broader effort to link U.S. innovation with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development initiative, including AI infrastructure and space collaboration.