Wielding swords, Trump, US officials sway to tunes of Arabian ardha dance

Swords in hand, swaying left, right and centre to drums beating to a slow tune on drums, officials from the Trump administration, including US President Donald Trump himself, on Saturday danced alongside Keffiyeh-sporting Saudi Arabian leaders in a traditional merrymaking event.

Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon waltzed in the Ardha dance ceremony with King Salman in the nation’s King Abdulaziz cultural centre.

While by definition, the “Ardha dance begins with a single line of poetry that is repeated with drums beating in the background and swords wielded as part of the national ceremony,” according to Al-Arabiya, it has become more commonplace at celebrations and various other occasions to express joy.

Earlier today, the Saudi Arabian king presented Trump with the kingdom's top civilian honour during the latter’s trip to Riyadh to strengthen security and economic ties. King Salman decorated Trump with the gold King Abdulaziz medal during a meeting at the royal court in the Saudi capital.

Trump and Muslim world

Trump reached Saudi Arabia on Saturday, marking the first stop on his maiden international trip since taking office in January.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz greeted him on a red carpet as he stepped off Air Force One, shaking the hand of his wife, Melania, and riding in the presidential limousine. It was a warmer welcome than had been granted to Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, who was seen in the Arab kingdom as soft on Iran and hesitant on Syria.

Top regional ally Saudi Arabia has said the trip will conclude political and commercial agreements and will help bolster the joint fight against extremist militants. Trump is expected to sign multiple deals with the country.

Dogged by controversy at home, Donald Trump opened his first presidential foreign trip in Saudi Arabia on Saturday and won a warm reception as he looked to shift attention from a political firestorm over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

The White House, on the other hand, hopes the trip will shift focus away from domestic controversies and on to his foreign policy agenda.

Trump will make stops next week in Israel, Belgium, and Italy. The trip has been billed as a chance to visit places sacred to three of the world's major religions while including meetings with Arab, Israeli, and European leaders.

The American President is expected to give a speech later on Sunday on the Islamic faith as well during a US-Arab Islamic Summit with nearly 50 other Muslim-majority country leaders.