The president is expected to address critical security challenges in the region and make significant investment announcements.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—President Donald Trump will visit the Middle East from May 13 to 16, with scheduled stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The trip marks his first major foreign trip of his second term, following a recent visit to the Vatican for Pope Francis’s funeral two weeks ago.
Trump is expected to announce a series of major investment deals aimed at attracting Gulf money into key U.S. sectors such as defense, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). His meetings will also focus on pressing regional issues, including the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group and ongoing nuclear talks with Iran.
Trump’s first destination is Riyadh, where Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to welcome him with a lavish ceremony, similar to the one during his visit in his first term, which stood in sharp contrast to the cold greeting President Joe Biden received in 2022, when bin Salman merely offered a fist bump.
As in his first term, Trump chose to go to the Middle East first, but unlike eight years ago, Israel is not on the agenda this time.
Here’s what Trump is expected to focus on during his tour in the Gulf.
‘America First’ Investments
Trump has made it clear that his visits abroad will prioritize countries that commit substantial investment in the United States.
Saudi Arabia recently pledged to invest $600 billion over the next four years. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates committed to a $1.4 trillion investment framework in the United States over the next decade, targeting AI and semiconductor infrastructure, the energy sector, and manufacturing.
The president’s first major foreign trip “symbolizes the value he places on the Gulf allies,” according to Joel Rubin, a Middle East expert and former State Department official under President Barack Obama.
“That symbolism means a lot in terms of how he’s trying to position the United States in the world and to have that relationship be firm,” he told The Epoch Times.
During the trip, Trump will focus on advancing his economic agenda by pursuing major investment commitments from Gulf nations, Rubin said.
By Emel Akan
