Former President Donald Trump will begin his high-risk journey to the Persian Gulf region this week, targeting business deals and strategic partnerships with three oil-rich countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The trip marks Trump’s first major foreign visit in his new term and continues with the war between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip as Iran delays nuclear negotiations. Although the business is the official focus, the background is just calm.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the mission as Trump’s broader vision of “beating extremism through (through) business and cultural exchanges.”
Under President Joe Biden, U.S. relations with the Gulf nations cooled down, especially after Biden vowed to make Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. But Trump turned around and adopted a more traded approach to keeping in touch with regional leaders.
U.S. and Saudi flags flutter along a highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before President Donald Trump arrived on May 12, 2025. (Reuters/Hamad I, Mohamed)
"The overall goal here is that the United States is reminding our Middle East allies that we will stay here," said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. "We are here to promote our common interests, not abandonment policies under the previous administration."
Saudi Arabia has pledged $600 billion in U.S. investment, covering weapons purchases, technology transfers, artificial intelligence and stock markets. Trump said he believes the Saudis may eventually promise $1 trillion.
Although the Saudi leader’s goal is to diversify the economy from oil, these massive investments still depend on oil revenues, which could be threatened by Trump’s reduction of global energy prices.
Trump's relationship with Netanyahu is an increasingly isolated Israeli policy in Middle East
President Donald Trump paid a historic visit to Saudi Arabia in early 2017. (Bandar Algaloud/Provided by Reuters through Saudi Crown Court/Handout)
In addition to the economic agreement, Trump and Ben Salman should discuss possible civil nuclear plans and expand defense cooperation. Such agreements have been associated with the normalization of the underlying Abrahamic agreement style between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
But Riyadh made it clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unless the national status of Palestine is on the dining table, would not recognize Israel. Israel has not stopped during Trump's tour.
"The normalization of Israel in any Saudi Arabian project is an outdated option," said Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst. "The second Trump administration doubled its strategically autonomous Middle East policy."
In a possible gesture of kindness before the journey, Hamas released the Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, a move Trump called “monumental” to end the Gaza conflict.
As the UAE tries to strengthen its ties with the U.S. and become a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2030, it will require U.S. microchips. The UAE has gone further than the Saudis, with the US $1.4 trillion invested by the U.S. in the next decade focused on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing and energy.
Biden tightened the curb for AI exports to keep such technologies out of China as it is close to the Middle East state, especially the UAE.
On Thursday, the United States announced that Trump would lift restrictions in the Biden-era era.
Trump's cyclone Gulf visit began Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will headline the U.S. along with Saudi Minister, White House Crypto Czar Czar David Sacks and other business leaders.
He will attend a GCC meeting on Wednesday before flying to Qatar to meet with Emim Bin Hamad Al Thani and visited the U.S. military’s Al Udeid Air Base.
The last stop on Thursday is Abu Dhabi, where Trump will meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
US-Iran's fourth round of negotiations ended as Trump begins historic Middle East tour
The Qataris went out of their way to impress: They provided Trump with the Royal Boeing 747-8, which was usually reserved for the Katari royal family, as Air Force One.
Since being listed as a non-NATO ally by Biden in 2022, Katar has deepened its ties with the United States, hosted U.S. troops and mediated sensitive negotiations, including ongoing back-channel talks between Israel and Gaza.
President Trump's decision to accept $400 million from Qatar has caused serious eyebrows even among his most determined supporters. (Getty Images | Istock)
Doha has also maintained close ties with Syria's new president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who ousted Bashar al-Assad and is now seeking sanctions relief and standardizing it with the West.
"Regional leaders will have the opportunity to resolve this situation directly with the president," said regional expert Jonathan Bass. "Trump is the only one who can lead the way."
Although the fourth round of nuclear talks held in Oman over the weekend failed to make a breakthrough, Tehran is expected to keep an eye on Trump’s Gulf meeting.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made an open visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar before Trump arrived, possibly in the hope of passing on these governments to Washington.
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei will monitor Trump's visits to its regional neighbors. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Click here to get the Fox News app
But Trump's three host countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, remain vigilant about Iran's ambitions.
"The region needs to openly address the IRGC's problem," Bass said. "The IRGC is trying to undermine every country in the region."