Photo: Pool via AP
By visiting the region, US President Donald Trump seeks to strengthen business ties, improve strategic alliances, and reposition the US in the Middle East, focusing on investments, new technologies and arms sales. And his personal business interests were not left aside either
American president Donald tramp kicked off his first major international tour of his second term by arriving in the capital on Tuesday of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, followed by visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. By the way, these are all countries where his company, the Trump Organization, is planning luxury real estate projects.
It is interesting that Saudi Arabia was also the first destination of his first foreign visit during the previous mandate, in 2017. This symbolism is not at all accidental: Trump once again chooses the Middle East as a stage for the demonstration of American power, business vision and geopolitical ambitions, at a time when the world is watching possible reversals in a series of global crises - from the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas, to the growing tensions between Iran and Israel, as well as the situation with the Houthis in Yemen and numerous tensions in the South China Sea.
Trump's three-day Middle East tour, by the way, takes place ahead of the planned peace summit on Ukraine, which should be held in Istanbul, with the mediation of Turkey and of course the USA, and at which talks on ending the conflict between Moscow and Kiev are expected. In this broader context, Trump's tour gains additional weight, as it indicates the American desire to regain a leadership position in the world in the new geopolitical circumstances and at the same time respond to the increased influence of China and Russia in the Middle East region.
Large investments and strategic interests
The head of the White House landed in Riyadh accompanied by top US officials — Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsett, Secretary of Commerce Howard Latnick and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. They were met at the airport by top Saudi officials, and Trump himself was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in front of the parked Air Force One plane, which is a remarkable gesture given that he rarely welcomes foreign leaders personally at the airport.
The central part of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia is the US-Saudi Investment Forum, which will be attended by the top executives of US technology and financial companies, including Amazon, Google, Nvidia, Boeing, Black Rock and OpenAI. Notable attendees include Elon Musk, who comes in his capacity as CEO of Company X and Trump's government efficiency adviser.
Money to the roof
Saudi Arabia has announced investments in the US worth $600 billion, and Trump estimates that this figure "could reach a trillion," according to Fox News. Key investment areas include the defense industry, artificial intelligence, technology transfer and the stock market. In addition, they will discuss a possible civilian nuclear program and additional military and security cooperation, which in the past was associated with the so-called Abraham's agreements and the potential normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. However, Riyadh still insists that the recognition of Israel and the complete normalization of relations between these Middle Eastern rivals will not happen without concrete steps towards the formation of a Palestinian state — a position that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still resolutely rejects, so Trump's tour this time does not even include a visit to Israel.
The technological race and the abolition of restrictions
The visit of the head of the White House to the region also comes as a turning point in the American policy of exporting advanced technologies. Trump announced the lifting of Biden's restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence and microchips to the Middle East, in which he wants to strengthen technological ties with countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are striving for digital transformation and positioning as global innovation centers. The upheaval of the USA is also visible in another strategic sphere - energy. Namely, thanks to the significant increase in domestic production of oil and gas, the United States of America is today significantly less dependent on energy imports from the Middle East than it was in previous decades.
Emirates ambitions
When it comes to technological transformation and cooperation with Washington, the UAE is particularly ambitious: it has announced plans to invest as much as $1400 trillion in the US over the next decade, with a focus on AI, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing. And from current affairs, just before Trump's visit, the State Department announced a $1,4 billion arms sale to Abu Dhabi, as France's Monde reports. The sale includes Chinook helicopters and logistical support for the F-16 fleet, despite opposition from certain Democratic lawmakers in Washington. They criticized the UAE's role in the conflict in Sudan, as well as the Gulf country's support for the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is fighting the national army in the ongoing civil war.
Qatar as an ally and mediator
In Qatar, the second stop of Trump's Middle East tour, talks are scheduled with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and a visit to the US base Al Udeid, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, which the State Department describes as "indispensable" for operations in the region. In 2022, by the way, Qatar received the status of the main non-NATO ally, which further strengthened and deepened the relations of this Gulf country with the USA.
Qatar has positioned itself as a key regional mediator — not only in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, but also in a wider context, including the war in Gaza, Afghanistan and contacts with the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shar, after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Analysts estimate that with these diplomatic engagements, Qatar is trying to preserve its strategic importance in the eyes of Washington. In a gesture that recently caused a big storm on the American political scene, Qatar made available to Donald Trump a luxurious royal Boeing 747-8, the so-called 'flying palace', as the future presidential plane, thereby sending a clear diplomatic message about the depth and importance of bilateral relations.
The visit to Qatar is, of course, also aimed at consolidating plans for expanding the business of the American president's family in that country. In this context, information was published about the planned construction of a luxury golf complex worth 5,5 billion dollars next to the capital Doha, which includes the development of exclusive real estate, hotels and restaurants, which further expands the business activities of the Trump family in the region.
Saudi Arabia in a new role
Analysts see Donald Trump's visit as a chance for Saudi Arabia to position itself as a stable, reliable and ambitious partner of Washington in a rapidly changing region. Bloomberg points out that Riyadh wants to show not only investment potential, but also political maturity, especially in light of dialogue with Iran and attempts to avoid direct participation in potential conflicts involving Tehran, Israel and the US. Also, following the 2018 assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist and critic of the Riyadh regime, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Saudi Arabia has stepped up efforts to improve its international image through reforms and investments in luxury tourism and sporting events, seeking to cover up human rights abuses and attract foreign investment.
Repositioning the role of the US
Trump's visit to the Middle East signals an attempt by the United States to strengthen its role in the region through diplomatic, economic and security initiatives. At a time when global relations are being redefined, and regional powers are looking for new alliances, the head of the White House is using this tour to position America as a key mediator and guarantor of stability. While it remains to be seen how much of a long-term effect these initiatives will have, it is clear that Washington wants to remain a central player in the reshaping of the Middle East.
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