Trump and Sheikh Mohammed praised each other at a meeting prior to the dinner, with Trump receiving a medal for Trump’s “exceptional efforts” to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

President Donald Trump arrived in the United Arab Emirates Thursday for the last leg of his first major foreign trip. Air Force One was given a fighter jet escort into the country’s airspace, just as Saudi Arabia and Qatar offered on the first stops of his Mideast trip.

It was a remarkable gesture for a man whose political career has been marked by intolerance and derision of Muslims, showcasing his willingness to accede to unfamiliar cultural norms to forge potentially lucrative partnerships.