Trump calls on Muslim leaders to confront extremism

UPDATE: Donald Trump used a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia addressed to tell the leaders of more than 50 Muslim-majority countries that they had to do more to confront "Islamic extremism" in their own countries, in part by doing more to cut financing to terror groups.

In a notable shift from his campaign rhetoric, the US president pitched the terror problem in broader terms than an inter-faith conflict.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilisations," he said.

"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people, all in the name of religion. People want to protect life and want to protect their religion. This is a battle between good and evil.”

Mr Trump also implied the US would not focus on human rights issues in the region, saying "We are not here to lecture,” he said. “We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be."

His language was generally moderate as he adopted the approach taken by his predecessor Barak Obama and avoided using the phrase "radical Islamic terror."

US media generally reported it as a forceful, articulate speech, helping to take some of the heat out of the president's recent domestic problems — which intensified earlier in the weekend as former FBI director James Comey agreed to testify in an open session of the Senate Intelligence Committee before Memorial Day (May 29).

Gold medal, arms deal in Saudi Arabia as Trump begins his first foreign trip

Sunday: After a tough week at home, Donald Trump found a much more appreciative audience in Saudia Arabia, the first stop on his first foreign tour.

The US president was greeted by the 81-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud at the airport (an honour not extended to Barak Obama during the last presidential visit).

Several jets then flew overhead leaving a red, white and blue trail.

Billboards featuring images of Trump and the king dotted the highways of Riyadh, emblazoned with the motto "Together we prevail."

And Trump's luxury hotel was bathed in red, white and blue lights and, at times, an image of the president's face, Fox News reports.

Later, at the Royal Court in Riyadh, King Salman bestowed his countries highest honour, the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, on Mr Trump.

The two leaders then signed a series of agreements, including a $US15 billion projects for US company General Electric and a $US110 billion deal for the US to supply arms and cyber security technology to the Saudis. The deal had been blocked by the Obama administration, which raised concerns the arms could be used to kill civilians in the civil war in neighbouring Yemen.

Before he became president, Mr Trump issued a tub-thumping tweet calling on Saudi Arabia to supply the US with free oil for ten years. There was no such talk in his meetings yesterday, but he did say the arms deal would support tens of thousands of jobs in the US.

There had already been signs of warming relations between the US and Saudi Arabia. The Sunni Islam state (home to 15 of the 19 men involved in the 9/11 terror attacks) was left off the list of countries included in the president's controversial attempt at a travel ban.

Mr Trump now travels to Israel before meeting the Pope at Vatican City before attending a Nato summit in Brussels and a G7 meeting in Sicily.