President Trump is set to announce major business partnerships during his Middle East visit, as his administration seeks to strengthen ties with the region.
President Trump is set to embark on his first major foreign trip of his second term, with a focus on business deals in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. As his administration struggles to broker an end to the war in Gaza, the President’s efforts to strengthen ties with the region will take center stage.
This trip is not a departure from Trump‘s inaugural foreign trip in 2017. The Saudis welcomed him with a lavish ceremony and announcements of billions of dollars in investments. In fact, nearly $110 billion in arms deals were announced during that visit, with the administration predicting other investments could boost that total to as much as $350 billion.
The Gulf leaders understand what Trump wants – and have an interest in giving it to him – because there are other things they don’t want Trump to ask about. By focusing on business deals, Trump can insulate himself from criticism for not doing enough on the Gaza issue. Additionally, this approach allows him to showcase a promise by Saudi Arabia to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years and pledges from the UAE to spend $1.4 trillion over 10 years.
Despite the President’s efforts to strengthen ties with the region, the unrest and uncertainty in the Middle East have complicated the messaging. Trump‘s biggest policy goals for his second term – including ending fighting in Gaza, stopping Iran‘s advances toward becoming a nuclear power, and persuading Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel – are currently beyond reach.
Any discussions about the ‘Abraham Accords‘ , which aim to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, are likely to happen behind closed doors. This is because Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia‘s crown prince, has expressed skepticism about these accords in light of the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
Signed in 2020, these accords aim to normalize relations between 'Israel' and its Arab neighbors, marking a significant shift in Middle East diplomacy.
The agreements focus on trade, tourism, security cooperation, and cultural exchanges, with the UAE and Bahrain being the first countries to establish formal diplomatic ties with 'Israel'.
The Accords have been hailed as a major breakthrough in regional peace efforts.
In this context, ‘By focusing on showcasing the promise of billions of dollars in investments’ , Trump can play up his achievements and demonstrate what he is producing for the United States.
