The Saudi capital is expected to host the Gulf-US summit, which comes in light of US President Donald Trump's historic first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.

According to Axios, which cited a US official and Arab officials, Saudi Arabia plans to host a summit on Wednesday bringing together the US president and his counterparts, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The US president's first official foreign trip reflects the growing importance his administration places on cooperation between the United States and the Gulf states. The summit will be an opportunity for the US president to present his vision for US engagement in the Middle East and define his country's interests in the region.

This summit will be the fourth between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, following three previous summits. The first was at Camp David in May 2015, the second in the same month of 2017 in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with the participation of US President Donald Trump during his first term, and the third in July 2022 with Arab participation, including Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.

On Sunday, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz extended invitations to Gulf leaders to attend the Gulf-US summit in Riyadh.

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, received a written message from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, including an invitation to attend the summit. The message was delivered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Ambassador to Kuwait, Prince Sultan bin Saad bin Khalid. Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, also received a written message from King Salman bin Abdulaziz, regarding the invitation to attend the upcoming Gulf-US summit. The message was received by the Omani Foreign Minister during his reception of the Saudi Ambassador to the Sultanate.

King Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain also received a written letter from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, including an invitation to attend the summit. The letter was delivered by the Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain, Nayef Al Sudairi.

King Hamad Al Khalifa expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, praising the close and solid historical relations that bind the two kingdoms, and the continuous development of fraternal cooperation and coordination at all levels to achieve all that is good for the two peoples. He also expressed his pride in the good efforts of King Salman in strengthening the bonds of Bahraini-Saudi relations, and in the pioneering role of Saudi Arabia in developing the system of joint Gulf action, deepening the bonds and cooperation between the brothers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and consolidating the pillars of security, stability and peace in the region.

The US State Department confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that President Trump's visit "unequivocally reflects the importance and strategic role of Saudi Arabia in the region, as the United States sees Saudi Arabia as a pivotal partner in efforts to enhance regional security and stability." Samuel Werberg, the regional spokesman for the US State Department, added that Washington reaffirms its commitment to working with its regional partners "to find sustainable political and diplomatic solutions to crises, support efforts to calm the situation in Gaza, achieve a permanent ceasefire, and confront activities that threaten freedom of navigation in the Red Sea."