Donald Trump to speak with Saudi King, UAE and S Korea President

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will speak with the Saudi King and Crown Prince of United Arab Emirates today over phone, amid an uproar over his controversial immigration order against people from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Trump will also talk to the acting president of South Korea, Hwang Kyo-Ahn, the White House said yesterday.

"In the afternoon, the President will speak with the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. The President will then speak with the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed," the White House said.

"The President will end his day with a call with the Acting President of South Korea, Hwang Kyo-Ahn," the White House said.

The new Republican president, who took office on January 20, last night spoke with the leaders of Japan, Germany, Russia, France and Australia.

Earlier in the week, he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trump had his first foreign visitor on Friday when he met the British Prime Minister Theresa May at the Oval Office.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE are among the seven Muslim-majority countries affected by Trump's sweeping executive order barring visas for 90 days to migrants or visitors from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The executive order signed by Trump bars citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US and suspends the admission of all refugees for 120 days. There is exception for Christian refugees.