Trump Targets Massive Investments In First Middle East Trip

Former President Donald Trump is embarking this week connected a high-stakes circuit of nan Persian Gulf region, targeting business deals and strategical partnerships pinch 3 oil-rich nations: Saudi Arabia, nan United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The travel marks Trump's first awesome overseas sojourn of his caller word and comes arsenic atomic negotiations pinch Iran resistance connected and arsenic warfare continues betwixt Israel and nan Palestinian panic organization, Hamas, successful nan Gaza Strip. While business is nan charismatic focus, nan backdrop is thing but calm.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt described nan ngo arsenic portion of Trump’s broader imagination that "extremism is defeated [through] commerce and taste exchanges."

Under President Joe Biden, U.S. relations pinch Gulf states cooled, peculiarly aft Biden vowed to make Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a "pariah" complete nan 2018 sidesplitting of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But Trump has reversed course, embracing a much transactional attack that has warmed ties pinch location leaders.

U.S. and Saudi flags flutter on a road successful Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, up of President Donald Trump's presence connected May 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed)

"The wide extremity present is that nan United States is reminding our Middle East friends that we're present to stay," said Gregg Roman, executive head of nan Middle East Forum. "We’re present to beforehand our associated interests alternatively than nan abandonment policies nether nan erstwhile administration."

Big money, large expectations

Saudi Arabia has already pledged $600 cardinal successful U.S. investments, spanning weapons purchases, exertion transfers, artificial intelligence and nan banal market. Trump has said he believes nan Saudis whitethorn yet perpetrate up to $1 trillion.

While Saudi leaders purpose to diversify their system distant from oil, those monolithic investments still dangle connected lipid revenues, which could beryllium threatened by Trump’s push to little world power prices.

TRUMP STRAINS RELATIONSHIP WITH NETANYAHU AS MIDDLE EAST POLICY INCREASINGLY ISOLATES ISRAEL

President Donald Trump made a historical sojourn to Saudi Arabia early successful his first word successful 2017. (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS)

In summation to economical deals, Trump and bin Salman are expected to talk a imaginable civilian atomic programme and expanded defense cooperation. Such agreements were erstwhile linked to a imaginable Abraham Accords-style normalization betwixt Saudi Arabia and Israel.

But Riyadh has made clear it won’t admit Israel unless Palestinian statehood is connected nan table, thing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has staunchly opposed. No extremity successful Israel is scheduled during Trump’s tour.

"Israeli normalization successful immoderate Saudi-U.S. task is an outdated option," said Saudi geopolitical expert Salman Al-Ansari. "The 2nd Trump management is doubling down connected its strategically autonomous Middle East policy."

In a imaginable goodwill motion up of nan trip, Hamas released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, a move Trump called "monumental" successful nan push to extremity nan Gaza conflict.

And arsenic nan UAE seeks to boost its ties pinch nan U.S. and go a world AI leader by 2030, it’ll request American microchips. The UAE has gone moreover further than nan Saudis, promising $1.4 trillion successful U.S. investments complete nan adjacent decade focused connected AI, semiconductors, manufacturing and energy. 

Biden had tightened curbs connected AI exports to support specified technologies retired of nan hands of adversaries astatine a clip erstwhile China drew person to Middle Eastern states, particularly nan UAE. 

On Thursday, nan U.S. announced Trump would rescind nan Biden-era restrictions. 

Itinerary: Three days, 3 powerfulness centers

Trump’s whirlwind Gulf sojourn originates Tuesday successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, wherever he’ll header nan U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum alongside Saudi ministers, White House crypto czar David Sacks and different business leaders.

On Wednesday, he’ll be a Gulf Cooperation Council gathering earlier flying to Qatar for talks pinch Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and a sojourn to nan U.S. military’s Al Udeid Air Base.

Thursday’s last extremity is Abu Dhabi, wherever Trump will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

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The Qataris are pulling retired each nan stops to impress: They’ve offered Trump nan usage of a royal Boeing 747-8, typically reserved for nan Qatari royal family, to service arsenic Air Force One.

Since being named a awesome non-NATO state by Biden successful 2022, Qatar has deepened its ties pinch nan U.S., hosting American troops and mediating delicate negotiations, including ongoing back-channel talks betwixt Israel and Gaza.

President Trump's determination to judge a $400 cardinal level from Qatar is raising superior eyebrows, moreover among his staunchest supporters. (Getty Images | iStock)

Doha besides maintains adjacent interaction pinch Syria’s caller president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who ousted Bashar al-Assad and is now seeking sanctions alleviation and normalized ties pinch nan West.

"Regional leaders will person an opportunity to reside nan business straight pinch nan president," said location master Jonathan Bass. "Trump is nan only man that tin lead nan way."

Iran watching closely

While a 4th information of Iran atomic talks successful Oman complete nan play grounded to nutrient a breakthrough, Tehran is expected to support a adjacent oculus connected Trump’s Gulf meetings.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made unannounced visits to some Saudi Arabia and Qatar up of Trump’s arrival, apt successful hopes of passing messages done those governments to Washington.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will beryllium monitoring Trump's sojourn to his location neighbors. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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But each 3 of Trump’s big nations, Saudi Arabia, nan UAE and Qatar, stay wary of Iran’s ambitions.

"The region needs to openly reside nan problem of nan IRGC," said Bass, referring to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "The IRGC is trying to undermine each azygous state successful nan region."