With all eyes on President Donald Trump's visit, the Kingdom will attempt to draw attention to a softer side rarely seen. A parallel art exhibition focuses on modern Saudi art and a Twitter forum will engage young Saudis on how to "utilize social media networks to counter extremism and terrorism." It is at this event where Trump is scheduled to make his address. It is also where Fox News Channel's Bret Baier is confirmed as a speaker.

Saudi Arabia is delighted at being the No. 1 (stop for Trump's visit), delighted by the re-emergence of a strong diplomatic relationship with the United States and delighted by the opportunity to show off Saudi leadership of the Arab and the Muslim world by getting everybody to turn up in Riyadh for multiple, overlapping summits.

Simon Henderson

Director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute.

SAUDI ARABIA has arranged a dizzying schedule of events for the two days US President Donald Trump will be in the Kingdom making every effort to dazzle and impress the dignitary on his first overseas trip, seizing on the visit to cement itself as a major player on the world stage.

Trump's decision to make Saudi Arabia his first overseas stop sends a powerful message to the Kingdom: The strained ties that marked US-Saudi relations under Barack Obama are over.

The Kingdom wants Trump to align US interests with Saudi Arabia's — and is literally counting down the seconds until Trump starts his meetings Saturday. A website for the visit was launched in English, Arabic and French, featuring a countdown clock under the banner: "Together We Prevail."

"The foundation will be laid for a new beginning" to confront extremist ideology, the website declares, while also touting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 — a wide-reaching reform plan launched by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, to overhaul the economy and restyle the country through greater openings for investment and entertainment .

For Saudi Arabia, the most significant event is the Arab-Islamic-US summit, where it plans to showcase the Kingdom's reach and drawing power.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is convening more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders for the summit in the capital, Riyadh, on Sunday. There they will feast with Trump at a banquet and "forge a new partnership " in the war against extremism, the King said this week.

"Saudi Arabia is delighted at being the No. 1 (stop for Trump's visit), delighted by the re-emergence of a strong diplomatic relationship with the United States and delighted by the opportunity to show off Saudi leadership of the Arab and the Muslim world by getting everybody to turn up in Riyadh for multiple, overlapping summits," said Simon Henderson, director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute.

Saudi Arabia has long vied to be the Islamic world's center of influence. The Kingdom hosts millions of Muslim pilgrims annually at holy sites in Makkah and Madinah - a fact that Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, noted when announcing Trump's decision to visit Saudi Arabia first.

Though the Saudi government is framing Trump's visit around a theme of friendship with Washington, prominent Saudis say it boils down to strategic interests .

"President Trump will not come to Riyadh because he loves us. The Gulf and Muslim leaders will not come to Riyadh because they love him," writer Ziad Al-Drees wrote in the pan-Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat.

"The common interests of these international leaders are what bring them together in Riyadh," he said, including issues ranging from terrorism to rekindling US ties post-Obama.

Saudi Arabia has welcomed Trump's hard rhetoric on Iran, which contrasts with the outreach that culminated in the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Tehran. Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad said earlier this month that Obama "wasted many significant opportunities" in Syria.

The Kingdom views Iran's influence in Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Lebanon and Iraq as a danger to its security. Prince Muhammad has ruled out any dialogue with Iran, framing the tensions in sectarian terms and accusing Iran of trying to "control the Islamic world".

The prince's foundation is hosting the forum where Trump is expected to deliver a speech to the Muslim world on Sunday.

Turki Al-Dakhil, who runs the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, wrote that Trump's visit restores "what Obama ruined." He described Trump's past criticisms of Saudi Arabia and his talk of a Muslim ban as electoral propaganda that has "nothing to do with his effective political programs."

Saudi Arabia wants to seize on Trump's visit to show itself as an earnest partner in the war on terror. Among the weekend events are a counterterrorism forum and the opening of a center to "fight radical thought."

William McCants, director of US relations with the Islamic world at the Brookings Institute, says the Saudis are keen to prove to Trump that he is "getting a good deal" by aligning himself closely with Riyadh.

With all eyes on Trump's visit, the Kingdom will attempt to draw attention to a softer side rarely seen. A parallel art exhibition focuses on modern Saudi art and a Twitter forum will engage young Saudis on how to "utilize social media networks to counter extremism and terrorism." It is at this event where Trump is scheduled to make his address. It is also where Fox News Channel's Bret Baier is confirmed as a speaker.

Twitter is wildly popular among Saudis and is rife with comments on the performance of the government.

Trump is expected to focus on securing more multi-billion dollar military deals, advancing economic ties and isolating Iran, according to analysts.

Saudi Arabia, which wants Trump to do more to assist in its war in Yemen and help in the fight to oust President Bashar Al-Assad, has arranged separate talks between Trump and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

All are members of the US coalition striking Daesh (the so-called IS) targets in Iraq and Syria, as well as among the world's top energy producers and biggest military spenders. The largest US military base in the Middle East is in Qatar, and Bahrain hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet, which frequently has tense encounters with Iran's navy in the Arabian Gulf.

Rounding out the weekend's events is a US-Saudi business forum with CEOs from companies like GE and Dow Chemical, as well as Saudi Arabia's state-run oil company Aramco. Partnership agreements in energy and technology will likely be signed. — AP