Trump to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE on May 13-16; Türkiye stop still unclear

United States President Donald Trump will visit the Middle East next month as part of a three-country tour, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday.

The trip, scheduled for May 13–16, will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. It marks Trump’s second overseas visit since returning to office and follows his planned attendance at Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican on Saturday.

Leavitt made the announcement during a press briefing, offering no additional details about the itinerary.

Trump’s potential visit to Türkiye

While the White House confirmed the stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, it did not comment on the possibility of including Türkiye in the president’s travel plans — a visit previously reported by both Turkish and U.S. media. On April 10, CNN Arabic reported that Trump was expected to add Türkiye to his itinerary.

Citing unnamed sources, the report said the president was considering a stop in Türkiye following his visits to the Gulf states.

Additionally, on April 11, the White House left the door open to the possibility of additional stops. “I don’t have any details about the president’s overseas trip, other than to say he is surely going to Saudi Arabia. There could be more countries as part of that trip. We’re working on the details,” Leavitt said in response to a question about a potential Türkiye visit.

However, the most recent White House statement made no mention of Türkiye.

US pushes forward with nuclear negotiations

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat visited Washington to prepare for Trump’s visit, echoing the president’s 2017 trip when the oil-rich kingdom was the first stop of his first term.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged in January to channel $600 billion into trade and investment with the United States.

The announcement comes as the White House pushes forward with nuclear negotiations with Iran, while simultaneously warning of possible military action if talks collapse.

In 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement that had eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

Speaking Tuesday, Trump said he had held a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which they reaffirmed their alignment on trade and Iran.

“The call went very well — We are on the same side of every issue,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.