Donald Trump’s Middle East tour focuses on securing significant investments for the US economy, with his first stop in Saudi Arabia. Trump’s trip prioritizes economic issues, aiming to attract over $1 trillion in new investments from Gulf states into the US economy, focusing on infrastructure and manufacturing to support his “America First” agenda. Potential deals include a possible $100 billion arms deal, involving missiles, radar systems, and transport aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
Trump met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for bilateral talks, discussing economic cooperation and regional issues. “The US doesn’t have the bandwidth and the ability to manage all these crises anymore,” said Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House think tank. Trump also attended a Saudi-US investment forum in Riyadh featuring top CEOs from US companies, including Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Arab leaders are likely to press Trump to address the Gaza conflict and ease suffering in the region. Notably, Israel was absent from Trump’s itinerary, despite lobbying efforts from Israeli officials. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said, “The world is inspired by his courage and resilience. His return gives hope to so many,” after meeting with released US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander. Trump hailed the release, stating, “He’s coming home to his parents who thought he was dead. This is big news.”
The Middle East has seen significant shifts since Trump’s first visit to Riyadh in 2017, with the region increasingly positioning itself as a global mediator and Gulf states acting as key intermediaries in conflicts. Trump’s tour will continue in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, focusing on securing new investments and strengthening US relations in the region.