None of those issues clouded Mr. Trump’s visit. The Saudis fully embraced him from the start, hoping to have warmer ties with him than with President Barack Obama. They expanded his visit into a summit of Islamic nations attended by heads of state and other top officials from dozens of countries.

A transformation of the capital, Riyadh, showcased a Saudi fondness for American culture. The Saudi Harley-Davidson club held a booze-free biker rally. The country singer Toby Keith performed for a full house of Saudi fans, all of them men.

Perhaps the best-known image of that trip came out of a visit to a center for countering extremism, where Mr. Trump, King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt laid their hands on a glowing orb. Photos of that moment spawned numerous memes.