Nathan Guttman is a Moment Institute senior fellow and U.S. correspondent for KAN, Israel’s public broadcasting network. Earlier this month, Guttman joined the traveling White House press corps on President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
I had never visited the Persian Gulf, so I really did not know what to expect. I was focused primarily on covering Trump’s visit and reporting on how it would impact our audience in Israel. In general, Israelis are prohibited from entering Saudi Arabia and are typically barred from visiting Qatar as well. This restriction extends to journalists, making it rare for first-person reports in Hebrew to emerge from either of these influential Gulf states.
I didn’t try to hide my identity as a reporter for an Israeli outlet. Instead, I acted simply as a member of the White House traveling press corps covering President Trump’s first international trip of his second term. Even so, my wife and youngest son were worried sick. They demanded I provide them with my exact itinerary and made me promise that I would avoid venturing off on my own. They also followed my iPhone tracking and texted me whenever they felt I wasn’t following their rules.
I should stress that I did not view this trip as a dangerous adventure but rather as a unique opportunity to report on a presidential visit that impacted the entire Gulf region. Had I thought it was dangerous or risky, I probably would not have gone.
My first live report from the Saudi capital of Riyadh happened shortly after Trump landed. I chose to do it on the street just outside the hotel where the press was staying. I cannot say I wasn’t a little anxious. Somewhere in the back of my head was this thought that while everything I was doing was legit and acceptable, it still might come across as offensive to passersby if they realized I was Israeli, either by hearing me speak Hebrew or seeing the “כאן” on my mic flag. I chose my broadcast position and was immediately drawn into setting up. (Working overseas as a one-man band means I am my own cameraman and producer, handling sound checks, camera adjustments and studio control talking into my earpiece). A few people walked by me as I reported in Hebrew in front of the camera. None of them seemed to react.
I can only assume that authorities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar knew I was representing an Israeli media outlet. It appeared on all my forms, which were handled by the White House. I did notice, however, a slight sense of surprise on the face of the young minder who escorted me to my broadcast position at Diriyah, a historic site outside Riyadh where Trump was hosted for an official dinner by Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. It was when I opened my mouth and began reporting in Hebrew. She didn’t say a word and was just as helpful as she was before, but still, I felt she was taken by surprise. When I wrapped up, we moved on to the next stop. She did not inquire about my affiliation, and I chose not to volunteer any further information.
Interestingly, this quick live report, which was later posted on X by my Israeli outlet, sparked a lively debate in Arabic in the comments, mostly from Saudis expressing their dismay—and in some cases disbelief—that an Israeli reporter was indeed broadcasting from the kingdom. It seemed silly to respond to such preposterous claims that I wasn’t really there. (If the visit was fake, where did I get this awful suntan?)
I got a lot of positive feedback from Israelis. Many were thankful for my reporting from the ground in Saudi Arabia and detailed accounts of Trump’s visit. The request I got the most was, “Tell us how it feels to be an Israeli in Saudi Arabia.”
It would come across as superficial to present an encompassing worldview on an entire region of the world based on a brief visit, so I won’t. I will say that it did help me internalize the sheer power of these nations, their wealth and the power held by their leaders. The visuals of vast towers in the desert, of luxury shops and fancy cars, and of portraits of the ruling families staring down from every corner, will—I hope—give me better grounding when reporting on the region in the future. If given the opportunity to return, I would like to do a real reporting tour, interacting directly with officials and civilians and spending much more time exploring. This was only the appetizer.
Top image: President Donald Trump meets with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Saudi Arabia on May 13, 2025 (Credit: The White House).