US president claims he has sealed deals worth $10 trillion during visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE.
President Donald Trump has hailed deepening ties between the United States and the United Arab Emirates and said that the latter will invest $1.4 trillion in the former’s artificial intelligence sector over the next decade.
“I have absolutely no doubt that the relationship will only get bigger and better,” Trump said on Thursday at a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the final leg of his three-country tour of the Gulf region that saw him strike a series of lucrative tech, business and military deals that he said amounted to $10 trillion.
Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE remained “committed to working with the United States to advance peace and stability in our region and globally”.
The deal with UAE is expected to enable the Gulf country to build data centres vital to developing artificial intelligence models. The countries did not say which AI chips could be included in UAE data centres. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had earlier been seen in conversation with Sheikh Mohamed and Trump.
The AI agreement “includes the UAE committing to invest in, build, or finance U.S. data centres that are at least as large and as powerful as those in the UAE,” the White House said.
Reporting from Doha in Qatar, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra said such a deal had been “a national security concern” for Washington in the past. “But then they decided to change their mind under Trump, particularly when the UAE said that it was willing to invest $1.4 trillion,” he said.
Ahelbarra said the deal was a “significant step” for the UAE, positioning it as “the most important player in artificial intelligence, followed by Saudi Arabia”.
Before his departure for the UAE, Trump said in a speech to US troops at the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha in Qatar that defence purchases signed by Qatar on Wednesday were worth $42bn.
Other agreements signed during Trump’s four-day swing through the Gulf include a deal for Qatar Airways to purchase up to 210 Boeing widebody jets, and a commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest $600bn in the US and to buy $142bn worth of US arms.
The tour also brought a flurry of diplomacy, with Trump saying in Qatar on Thursday that the US was getting close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran. On Tuesday, he said the US would remove longstanding sanctions on Syria.
Trump said he would probably return to Washington on Friday, although he said it was “almost destination unknown because they’ll be getting calls ‘Could you be here? Could you be there?’”
Trump had previously hinted that he could stop in Istanbul for talks on the Russia-Ukraine war.
United States President Donald Trump has started his Middle East tour, arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, just after 10am, where he was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
During his three-day trip, he will also travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a focus on securing economic agreements with three of the world’s wealthiest nations.
The trip will involve discussions on investment opportunities, and some experts say Trump may urge the Gulf countries to lower oil prices.
When will Trump be visiting each country?
Trump arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday just before 10am local time (07:00 GMT), where he was greeted by MBS. The same day, he is scheduled to attend a Saudi-US investment forum featuring leading companies such as BlackRock, Citigroup, Palantir, Qualcomm, and Alphabet.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to take part in a Gulf summit in Riyadh, before travelling to Qatar later that day. He will conclude his trip in the UAE on Thursday, May 15.
Trump’s first visit as president was to Saudi Arabia
During his first term, 2017 to 2021, Trump became the first US president to make the Middle East his first international destination, breaking with the longstanding tradition of visiting neighbouring North American countries first.
His trip to Saudi Arabia from May 20 to 22, 2017 – during which he attended the Riyadh Summit – was a calculated move to bolster defence ties and secure substantial arms deals.
During that trip, Trump also visited Israel and Palestine.
While Trump did not go to Qatar or the UAE during his first term, he met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Riyadh Summit.
During the summit, Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud signed a $110bn arms deal, including missile defence systems, tanks, combat ships and cybersecurity technology, with the intent of buying $350bn worth of arms over 10 years.
A memorable moment from that 2017 trip to Saudi Arabia was during the inauguration of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh. In a surreal photo op that quickly went viral, Trump stood alongside King Salman and President el-Sisi with their hands on a glowing orb.
Left to right, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Saudi King Salman, US First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump, at the new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, in Riyadh on May 21, 2017 [Saudi Press Agency via AP]
What is the value of US-Gulf investments?
Sami al-Arian, director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at Istanbul Zaim University, told Al Jazeera that Trump has been very vocal about his objective in visiting the three Gulf states: investments.
Trump’s administration has reportedly discussed the possibility of expediting investments by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE before his trip to the region.
“He’s trying to get trillions of dollars out of these countries,” al-Arian told Al Jazeera.
“He’s already said that he’s hoping to get $1 trillion from Saudi Arabia in terms of arms sales and commercial deals,” he said.
US-Saudi investments
According to the latest data from the US Department of Commerce, the total stock of US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia reached $11.3bn in 2023.
Conversely, Saudi Arabia’s FDI stock in the US stood at $9.6bn, mostly in transport, real estate, plastics, automotive, financial services and communications, according to the Commerce Department.
These figures are only FDI, not other investments, like portfolio investments or short-term financial flows.
US-Qatar investments
In 2023, the total stock of US FDI in Qatar was estimated at $2.5bn.
According to the US-Qatar Business Council, US companies that have facilitated FDIs in Qatar focused on the fields of energy, petrochemicals, construction, engineering, and communications technology.
Conversely, Qatari FDI stock in the US reached $3.3bn in 2023, with investments concentrated in financial services, energy and real estate.
US-UAE investments
In 2023, the total stock of US FDI in the UAE reached $16.1bn.
According to the Reuters news agency, in 2023, the main FDI drivers were manufacturing, finance and insurance, construction and wholesale and retail trade sectors.
Meanwhile, UAE FDI stock in the US totalled $35bn in 2023 – in financial services, transport, food and beverages, aerospace, and business services, according to the Commerce Department.
In March, UAE National Security Adviser Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Trump and committed $1.4 trillion in investments to the US over 10 years in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing.
Weapons trade between the nations
The US is the biggest exporter of arms globally and a top supplier to Gulf countries.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia each accounted for 6.8 percent of the world’s total arms imports for 2020-24, making them the third and fourth largest importers globally.
The UAE is the 11th largest importer of arms, accounting for 2.6 percent of global imports for the same period.
Saudi Arabia is the main recipient of US arms, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Between 2020 and 2024, Saudi Arabia received 12 percent of the US’s total arms exports.
About 74 percent of Saudi arms imports come from the US.
Trump is poised to offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth more than $100bn during his trip, according to Reuters.
In the 2020-24 period, the US was the top supplier of arms to Qatar, accounting for 48 percent of its imports.
In March, the US Department of State approved a large weapons package to Qatar worth $2bn, which includes long-range maritime surveillance drones and hundreds of missiles and bombs.
In the same period, the US was also the top supplier of weapons to the UAE, accounting for 42 percent of the country’s arms imports.
United States President Donald Trump will undertake a three-day tour of the Gulf for his first state visit since retaking office in January.
The trip begins in Saudi Arabia, followed by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
It marks Trump’s second foreign visit as president after he attended Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome in April.
Here is what to know about the trip and what is on the agenda:
When and where is Trump visiting?
Trump will fly out of the US on Monday and start his trip in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday.
He is expected to attend a Gulf summit in the city on Wednesday, visit Qatar later that day and conclude his visit in the UAE on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia was the first country Trump visited during his first term as well, breaking the tradition of US presidents starting with the United Kingdom, Canada or Mexico.
(Al Jazeera)
What is on Trump’s agenda?
His objectives are securing major economic deals and making diplomatic progress on issues that impact the region, including a Gaza ceasefire and stalled Saudi-Israel normalisation talks.
The focus on economic deals comes as the US recorded a drop in its economic output in the first quarter, its first in three years.
US media reported that he may decide to refer to the body of water as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia.
Saudi Arabia: Normalisation, business deals and weapons
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the president wants to expand the Abraham Accords, under which the UAE and Bahrain recognised Israel during Trump’s first term, to include Saudi Arabia.
Talks were reportedly under way on Saudi Arabia joining the accords, but after Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) paused those discussions.
Saudi officials have said they won’t move forward unless there is real progress towards a two-state solution for Palestine, leading to speculation that Trump may propose a US-backed framework to end the war and revive normalisation efforts during this visit.
In a shift from past US policy, the Trump administration has uncoupled discussions on a Saudi nuclear agreement and normalisation with Israel, which US President Joe Biden’s administration had held as a condition for nuclear cooperation.
Riyadh wants US help building a civilian nuclear programme, which Israel has raised concerns about and had wanted it tied to normalisation.
Trump’s main focus will be economic partnerships as he meets with MBS and attends a Saudi-US investment forum. He wants to secure a $1 trillion Saudi investment in US industries, expanding on a $600bn pledge made by the crown prince earlier this year.
Saudi Arabia is also expected to announce more than $100bn in US arms purchases, including missiles, radar systems and transport aircraft.
Other key issues include reviving a scaled-down US-Saudi defence pact.
Trump meets MBS during his first term as US President [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]
UAE: Investment in the US and cooperation on tech goals
In the UAE, Trump is to meet with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss investment opportunities in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing.
In March, the UAE announced a $1.4 trillion investment plan for those sectors in the US over the next decade.
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to lift Biden-era export restrictions on advanced technology as the UAE seeks US microchips and artificial intelligence technology to support its goal of becoming a global AI leader by 2031.
Qatar: Military cooperation, regional security and Syria
In Qatar, where the largest US military base in the Middle East is located, Trump’s agenda includes meetings with the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss military cooperation and regional security.
Doha, which has close ties with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, may also seek Trump’s support in easing sanctions on Syria.
As a key partner in regional mediation, Qatar is also expected to discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts with Trump.
Trump meets Qatar’s Emir at the White House in 2019 [Kevin Lamarque/Reuters]
Why is Israel not on the itinerary?
Trump’s decision to skip Israel during this tour comes amid heightened tensions in Gaza, where Israel’s military has intensified its operations after breaking a ceasefire on March 18.
“Nothing good can come out of a visit to Israel at the moment,” a US official told the Axios news website.
Since it broke the ceasefire, Israel has continued extensive air strikes on Gaza while voicing concerns over what it sees as a decline in US support.
Recent reports from US and Israeli media also suggest growing tensions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the Trump administration signals it may act independently on Middle East policy without waiting for the Israeli leader.
Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg told Al Jazeera: “At the moment, Israel is at odds with [Trump’s] overall goal, promising continuous fire.
“I think the mistrust between Trump and Netanyahu has been quite extensive for some time.”
How are countries responding to this visit?
In the lead-up to Trump’s visit, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE pledged significant investments in the US, signalling an interest in deepening economic ties.
However, Trump’s trip also follows resistance in the region over his proposal for the US to redevelop Gaza and relocate its residents to other Arab countries.
In a meeting of Arab leaders in Riyadh in February, officials from countries including Egypt, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait rejected Trump’s plan, emphasising the need for Palestinian self-determination and regional stability.
Trump aims to drum up financial support for the US with his Middle East trip, but Iran and Gaza also hang in the balance.
United States President Donald Trump plans to tout trillions of dollars of Arab investments in the US as a major achievement, but other issues are at stake, says University of Maryland professor Shibley Telhami.
Israel is threatening to further destroy the Gaza Strip unless progress is made in its ceasefire talks with Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel has refused to allow any food to enter Gaza – home to more than 2 million Palestinians – for more than two months.
And despite Israeli objections, Trump may soon be able to reach a deal with Iran on its nuclear program.
The International Court of Justice dismissed Sudan’s case accusing the United Arab Emirates of enabling genocide in Darfur by supplying the paramilitary forces with weapons. The ICJ said it lacked jurisdiction, rejecting Sudan’s request for emergency measures and ordered the case be removed from its docket.
Top UN court says it does not have authority to rule on case accusing UAE of arming rebel Rapid Support Forces paramilitary.
The top United Nations court has dismissed a case brought by Sudan accusing the United Arab Emirates of breaching the genocide convention by arming and funding the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’s deadly civil war.
The International Court of Justice said on Monday that it “manifestly lacked” the authority to continue the proceedings and threw out the case.
While both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 genocide convention, the UAE has a carveout to the part of the treaty that gives The Hague-based court jurisdiction.
In March, Sudan asked the ICJ for several orders, known as provisional measures, including telling the UAE to do all it can to prevent the killing and other crimes targeting the Masalit people in Darfur.
The UAE called the filing a publicity stunt and, in a hearing last month, argued the court had no jurisdiction.
“The case is baseless both legally and factually. The UAE is not involved in the war, and this case is yet another attempt by the Sudanese Armed Forces, one of the warring parties, to distract from its own responsibility,” Reem Ketait, a senior official at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement ahead of the decision.
Sudan descended into a deadly conflict in mid-April 2023 when long-simmering tensions between its military and rival paramilitary forces broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions.
Both the Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s military have been accused of abuses.
The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and a US ally, has been repeatedly accused of arming the RSF, something it has strenuously denied despite evidence to the contrary.
