The American Daily Beast website reviewed an aspect of a recent book by two international journalists about the emergence of the star of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his exploitation of the historic visit by US President Donald Trump in May 2017 to Riyadh in his isolation of power.

According to the Daily Beast, Trump's first visit outside the United States after he came to power was supposed to appear as an independent leader who reshaped the rules of diplomacy, but instead ended up looking like a "spoiled Saudi dog."

The news site highlighted this description in the publication of its report, citing a new book by two Wall Street Journal correspondents entitled "Blood and Oil: Muhammad bin Salman's Tireless Search for Global Power." (Blood and Oil: Mohammed Bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power) .

The book, released on Tuesday, is written by reporters Bradley Hope and Justin Chic.

Kingdom keys

The Daily Beast website was satisfied with dealing with what the book revealed about the details that preceded the US president’s visit to Saudi Arabia, and how Bin Salman manipulated Trump, who was recently in office to the presidency, and got through him "the keys to the kingdom."

The site began its report by reminding that the visit came only 4 months after Trump took the presidency, which coincided with the holding of an Islamic summit conference in the presence of about 40 leaders from countries from Afghanistan to Yemen.

Trump's first visit outside the United States, and specifically to Saudi Arabia, came in contrast to what was usually done by the presidents who preceded him.

Canada was the first destination for Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

As for President George W. Bush, he chose his first foreign trip to be to Mexico.

Both then-Trump adviser Steve Bannon and President Jared Kushner's son-in-law wanted the president's first trip to reveal how different the new White House resident was from his predecessors.

Bin Salman manipulated Trump, who was a newcomer to the presidency, and through him obtained "the keys to the kingdom" (Reuters)

A bitten king and an old ally

The United States' relations with Saudi Arabia - which the report describes as an organic king and an old ally of Washington - had deteriorated during the rule of Barack Obama, who criticized the kingdom's human rights record and concluded a nuclear agreement with Iran even without the consent of Riyadh and its smaller neighbor, the Emirates.

But things changed under the Trump administration overnight, the Daily Beast claims.

The United States will backtrack on the nuclear deal with Iran and pledge to eradicate the Islamic State with the help of its "hawkish" friends in the Middle East.

Trump's advisers are betting that by returning Saudi Arabia to the American fold, they will thus be able to obtain the support of the countries of the region for a peace agreement with Israel.

It became clear, after 3 days of celebrations that included the visit of the US President and the holding of the Islamic Summit, that the real winner was not Donald Trump but Mohammed bin Salman, who was not more than 31 years old at the time.

Praise and great deals

According to the Daily Beast, it was only a few months ago that the prince discovered exactly the way in which he could attract Trump's attention to him, namely "the big deals, the fragrant praise of him, and the treatment of the elected president of the republic as if he were a visiting king."

Perhaps the goal of the joint meeting between the leaders of Islamic and Arab countries and Trump in Riyadh was clear to all attendees, which is that Saudi Arabia has shown that it has returned to be the main ally of the United States in the Islamic world, and that the man who is credited with reviving the relationship again is Mohammed bin Salman.

That meeting was a major focus of Trump's visit and in the foreign policy agenda of the new American president, who was pushing hard for victories at the international level, ignoring the advice of professional diplomats.

Instead, what he got were headlines in newspapers about arms sales and the rise of a "tyrannical Saudi prince driven by ambitions not to take orders from anyone around him, including the United States."

The new book also touched on the role played by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, in introducing Mohammed bin Salman to the Americans.

The Daily Beast: Bin Zayed (right) shares Bin Salman's hatred for powerful preachers who impose their wills on society (Al Jazeera)

Meet Trump Tower

The book states that the origin of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia dates back to a meeting held by the de facto ruler of the UAE, Bin Zayed, with American officials at Trump Tower in New York, where he wore "short clothes and silver aviator sunglasses" usually worn by military pilots. With "The Arab James Bond".

On the American side, that meeting included Steve Bannon, Kushner, and former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

In that meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, Mohammed bin Zayed suggested that Bannon meet with Mohammed bin Salman, who he described as "the key to your plans in the region."

Bin Zayed's relationship with Bin Salman was relatively new at the time, but the Americans who met with him realized that a leader "with the same mindset in the larger, wealthier, and more powerful Saudi kingdom" was a pivotal person in shaping the future of the region.

In Mohammed bin Zayed's view, Saudi Arabia has been part of the problem for decades by spreading its militant conception of Islam around the world, as its "elderly" princes have refused any reform or leadership role on regional issues.

The common thing between bin Zayed and bin Salman

However, Mohammed bin Salman - as the report says - was on the contrary, as he is "stubborn and ready to make radical adjustments to almost everything and take decisive decisions."

He also shares the UAE's "hatred of powerful preachers who impose their wills on society."

The authors of the book stated that everything related to Trump's visit at that time was prepared very carefully in order to support Mohammed bin Salman, so that even the simplest issues were quickly fixed.

The book listed the details of the phone conversation between Trump and King Salman bin Abdulaziz, which preceded the visit.

The Saudi monarch told the US president, "I am a fan of you, Mr. President," and Trump replied, "Well, King," adding that his son-in-law, Kushner, will oversee the visit program.

On the other hand, King Salman informed the US President that he had assigned his son Muhammad to be responsible for the Saudi side entrusted with coordinating the visit, saying: If you see that he (Muhammad) is not performing his duty well, you can tell him, "You are fired!"

Expensive arrangements

The report states that the Saudi organizers invited the American country singer Toby Keith, who was famous for his songs about the September 11, 2001 attacks, and paid him millions of dollars to hold a party in honor of Trump's visit.

However, a member of the security team accompanying the US President told the organizers that Trump hates Toby Keith, so the Saudis asked the singer to throw a party elsewhere in Riyadh.

The Saudis presented Trump with a range of lavish gifts, including statues, swords, jewel-encrusted daggers, hoods, white head scarves and coats made of the furs of leopards and tigers.

The website concluded by noting that bin Salman has tightened his grip on power by launching arrest campaigns for his cousins, uncles and a number of billionaires over allegations of corruption.

He also rearranged his government papers, and removed his cousin, the former crown prince, Muhammad bin Nayef, from the throne.