London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 07, 2026

Revealed: the gifts given to President Trump by Arab leaders

Revealed: the gifts given to President Trump by Arab leaders

According to US law, gifts given to the President and his family are the property of the United States but they are free to purchase them at market value once out of office

A $2,650 gold-plated camel statue and a set of plates worth over $23,000 were among the gifts given to President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump by Arab officials, according to US government records.

The items are among dozens listed in a document from the Office of the Chief of Protocol, which provides details of gifts given by foreign government sources to US federal officials in 2019, ranging from President Trump to members of congress and senior members of various government departments and the US military.



Among the items listed in the document include a $2,000 bowl and frame ensemble given to Melania by Saudi Prince Khalid bin Abdullah, as well as a $10,000 designer-made chair featuring papyrus flower designs given to the First Lady by Egyptian President Fattah Al Sisi.

For President Trump, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman gifted a $2,650 “gold-plated camel standing near a watering hole with palm trees.”


Egyptian President Fattah Al Sisi


Other Saudi gifts for American officials included a $730 statue of a woman in a glass case and Cartier pen for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as well as a $5,946 black Armin watch for General Terrence McKenrick, the deputy commanding general of the US Army’s Central Command, which oversees the MENA region.

Of the 11 items listed as coming from UAE officials in 2018, none were directed to the President or the First Lady.

Pompeo, on the other hand, received a $490 “custom sculpture of rock masses” created by Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej.

James Mattis, a former Marine Corps general who served as Secretary of Defence for the first two years of the Trump administration before resigning, received a “white engraved Corian with brass inlay wall hanging” valued at $1,650 from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.


Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed (L) and Donald Trump (R)


Among the gifts received by US Vice-President Mike Pence, the document noted, was a $5,730 desk phone given to him by Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who also serves as First Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force.

The Vice-President was never able to use his gift. The document notes that it was “destroyed” as per the policy of the United States Secret Service. No further details were provided.

In all cases, the document noted that “non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and US government.”


Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa


All the gifts given to President Trump and his family were handed over to the National Archives and Records Administration, or NARA.

According to US government regulations, gifts to Presidents – and their families – are considered the property of the United States.

Once a presidential term has ended, the gifts are either transferred from NARA to a presidential library, or can be purchased by the outgoing president at current market value.

While 2018 was a fruitful year in terms of gifts to President Trump, his family and other Federal employees, they pale in comparison to 2017.


Saudi Arabia’s King Salman (R) and Donald Trump (L)


During the course of that year – Trump’s first in office – he received a variety of gifts from Arab governments, including a $6,400 ruby and emerald pendant necklace from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and a $4,850 gold-plated model of a fighter jet from Bahrain.

Other gifts given to Trump included a $3,700 bronze statue of three oryx from Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed, who also gave the US president a number of other gifts such as a $1,250 bronze sculpture of a manatee and a $470 model oil well surface cap valve system.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
UK Watchdog Finds Electronic Monitoring Failures Leaving Some Offenders Without Timely Alerts
Metropolitan Police Investigate Covent Garden Knife Attack That Injured Four Men
UK Government Confirms Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Programme Expands
Diageo Plans Guinness Expansion While Cutting Jobs Through Global Restructuring Programme
Bank of England Keeps UK Borrowing Costs Stable While Markets Await Future Rate Cuts
Gatwick Airport Wins Approval for Second Runway Expansion After Legal Challenges Fail
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Demand for Access to Encrypted iCloud Data
London Approves First Autonomous Taxi Licences for Wayve and Uber Passenger Trials
UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Finds Advanced AI Models Showing Deceptive Behaviour in Security Tests
UK Small Boat Channel Crossings Fall Forty-Three Percent as Government Highlights France Cooperation
UK Government Plans Procurement Reforms to Boost British Jobs and Domestic Steel Supply Chains
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Percent as Inflation Stays Above Target
EY Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to Zero Point Nine Percent as Energy Risks Remain a Concern
UK Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Public Infrastructure Investment Remain Key Policy Focus Areas
Kemi Badenoch Faces Criticism Over Appointment of Former Neo-Nazi Linked Figure to Advisory Role
AG Barr Reports £10 Million Sales Loss After Supply Chain and Planning Failures
UK Government Fast-Tracks Specialist Care Pathways for Motor Neurone Disease Patients
UK Government Connects More Than 60,000 Rural Homes and Businesses to Gigabit Broadband
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Forecast After Strong Summer Sales
Metropolitan Police Arrest Woman After Four Men Stabbed in Central London’s Covent Garden Area
UK Procurement Reform and Infrastructure Spending Signal New Focus on Regional Economic Growth
UK Government Expands Global Talent Visa Access for International Researchers and Innovators
NHS Launches £343 Million Expansion of Community Mental Health Centres Across England
UK Treasury Explores Higher Borrowing Capacity for Infrastructure and Housing Investment
UK Cabinet Office Reforms Procurement Rules to Direct £90 Billion of Public Spending Toward Jobs and Skills
UK Government Considers Public Inquiry Into Jeffrey Epstein’s Activities and Possible Institutional Failures
×