While most of the focus for the next nine days will be on President Donald Trump as he makes his first international trip as commander in chief, there will be plenty of eyes on first lady Melania Trump, also set to bow on the global stage. [...] Trump's schedule will be packed with many events alongside her husband, but she will also make excursions on her own. If her handful of public events stateside are any indication, Trump could spend time at schools, hospitals, or museums, just like she did before with Queen Rania of Jordan and China's Madam Peng. 

President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia — the first stop on his first overseas trip, beginning Friday — is designed to solidify its premier partnership with the Muslim world. Over two days hectic schedule, the president will hold bilateral meetings and a summit with the six Persian Gulf states. At a lunch with leaders of more than 50 majority-Muslim countries,Trump will deliver what White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster called “an inspiring, yet direct speech” on his vision for confronting radical ideology, spreading peace and sharing the burdens of achieving both.

The Saudi foreign ministry published an infographic that shows the size of aid which the Saudi kingdom has provided to Yemen since April 2015 until April 2017. Saudi Arabia has provided $8.2 billion during this phase. The amount has been divided on different sectors. The development sector received the biggest share worth $2.9 billion while aid to the legitimate Yemeni government was worth $2.2 billion.

“Vision 2030” shows that Saudi Arabia is conscious about the necessity to reform the country’s economy. Its cut in social spending, the plan to introduce a tax on expenses by 2018, and –more importantly- its plan to privatise the state oil company Saudi Aramco are very positive. [...] The success of Saudi Arabia’s economic reforms is crucial to the West, who needs a stable Saudi Arabia in an already chaotic Middle East.

The King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP), to be set up in Malaysia, can help correct any negative image of Islam and its followers, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hus­sein. He said the decision by Saudi Arabia to have the centre built here showed its confidence in the country’s leadership.

Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi opened the first Japanese full orchestra concert in Saudi Arabia on Thursday night here at King Fahad Cultural Center. The concert was organized as part of a Saudi-Japan music exchange program, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information and the Embassy of Japan.