WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Donald Trump will be picking up the bill for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's weekend visit to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, the White House said Thursday (Feb 9).

Amid questions about who is paying for the trip to southern Florida, expected to revolve around golf, a senior administration official said Trump would be picking up the tab.

It's "a personal gift," the official said. "Something the president is doing for the prime minister."

Trump and Abe are expected to meet at the White House on Friday (Feb 10), before heading south.

Abe is expected to stay at Mar-a-Lago and play golf at Trump's club nearby.