INTERVIEW-Trump Visit Underscores Riyadh's Rise as Proactive Regional Order Architect: Salman Al-Ansari

Leaders

24-05-2025

On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, all eyes turned to Saudi Arabia as the US President, Donald Trump, landed in Riyadh, in a historic visit that underscored the Kingdom's growing status as a strategic political and economic player.
The visit reflected the depth of Saudi-US relations, which date back to more than 8 decades and have evolved over the years into a firm partnership across various sectors, including trade, defense, energy, education, technology and tourism. Trump chose the Kingdom to be his first foreign destination in his second term as a president, just as he did during his first term.
In this exclusive interview with Leaders MENA Magazine, the Saudi geopolitical analyst, Salman Al-Ansari, shares his invaluable insights on Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, US policy towards Israel, the situation in Gaza, and other key regional issues.
Salman Al-Ansari is a prominent Saudi geopolitical analyst and commentator specialized in strategic and political communication. He was named by Arab News as the most influential political pundit in the Middle East in 2021. Trump's Visit to Saudi Arabia
From May 13-16, 2025, Trump embarked on a Middle Eastern tour, visiting three Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The visit came at a time of heightened regional and international tensions and global economic uncertainty.
The US President chose Riyadh to be his first stop, signaling the Kingdom's growing significance as a central player in regional and international dynamics.
'Trump's 2025 visit to Saudi Arabia underscored the Kingdom's transformation from a passive partner to a proactive architect of regional order,' Salman Al-Ansari noted.
'By choosing Riyadh as an early and prominent stop, Trump acknowledged Saudi Arabia's unmatched leverage in regional security, energy stability, and global economic realignment,' he added. Strong Bond
During his speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum, Trump praised the leadership of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, calling him an 'incredible man' that has turned Riyadh into a major business, cultural and high-tech capital of the entire world.
'Crucially, the visit also highlighted the strong personal and professional bond between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Trump,' Al-Ansari said.
'Both leaders share a results-driven mindset, a willingness to challenge conventional norms, and a vision rooted in national sovereignty and transformative economics. Their personal chemistry fosters direct communication, accelerates decision-making, and acts as a stabilizing force in bilateral relations,' he explained.
'Together, this alignment—between two bold leaders and two strategically vital nations—reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's central role in shaping the Middle East's future and influencing global policy from Riyadh as much as from Washington,' Al-Ansari told Leaders MENA Magazine. Economic Deals and Vision 2030
A large delegation of business leaders and investors accompanied Trump during his visit to Saudi Arabia, resulting in the announcement of numerous major agreements across various sectors.
The new deals channeled substantial Saudi investment into diverse American sectors like energy, technology, defense, and infrastructure, while simultaneously providing Saudi Arabia with advanced US technologies, defense capabilities, and expertise crucial for its economic diversification goals under Vision 2030.
In the light of this, Salman Al-Ansari noted that 'these multi-billion dollar agreements reflected Vision 2030 in action: advancing economic diversification, boosting FDI, and localizing strategic industries. But beyond traditional sectors, this visit emphasized future-facing fields—particularly artificial intelligence (AI), advanced computing, biotech, and clean energy.' Mutual Economic Benefits
The Saudi geopolitical analyst pointed out how these agreements support Saudi Arabia's economic diversification efforts. 'Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a global hub for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through giga-projects like NEOM and major AI investments, the Kingdom aims to lead in setting global standards for AI ethics, infrastructure, and applications,' he explained.
'These partnerships with US tech giants are not just economic—they are strategic, placing Saudi Arabia in the vanguard of shaping the digital economy and the post-oil global order,' Al-Ansari told Leaders MENA Magazine.
'For the US, these deals provide access to one of the world's fastest-evolving innovation ecosystems. For Saudi Arabia, they accelerate the transition from an oil-based economy to one based on data, talent, and frontier technologies,' he added. US Policy on Israel
The US President excluded Israel from his Middle East tour, amid reports of a growing gap between the two allies. Trump also secured the release of Israeli-American hostage, Edan Alexander, through direct negotiations with Hamas, and announced a truce with the Houthis, signaling what might be seen as a shift in the US policy on Israel.
On this matter, Al-Ansari said: 'Israel's exclusion from Trump's 2025 regional tour—paired with a US-negotiated release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander via Hamas and a brokered truce with the Houthis—highlighted a recalibration.
'Trump appeared more aligned with Arab interests than with Netanyahu's traditional hardline approach. This signals a shift from automatic support for Israeli leadership toward a more interest-based, autonomous US strategy. Tensions between Trump and Netanyahu may reflect diverging visions, not shared values.' Position on Gaza
At the GCC-US Summit in Riyadh, Trump said that the people of Gaza deserved a 'better future,' while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reaffirmed the Kingdom's support for 'de-escalating tensions in the region, ending the war in Gaza, and seeking a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause.'
On the prospect of translating these statements into concrete and coordinated actions to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Al-Ansari believed that these remarks 'show rhetorical convergence.'
However, 'the challenge lies in translating these words into action—through mechanisms like reconstruction-for-ceasefire deals, governance reforms in Gaza, and unified Arab-American diplomatic tracks,' he elaborated.
'The potential is there for alignment, but it depends on synchronized pressure and incentives on all conflict parties,' the Saudi geopolitical analyst added. Recognition of Palestine
Saudi Arabia and France will jointly chair an international conference for the implementation of the two-state solution on June 17-20, 2025, in a push to encourage more countries to recognize the State of Palestine.
Within this context, Salman Al-Ansari said that 'momentum is building,' with France and the UK weighing the recognition of Palestine. 'If Paris and London move forward, other nations—particularly in Europe, Latin America, and Africa—are likely to follow,' he said.
With regards to the potential impact of this move, he noted that 'Such a diplomatic wave wouldn't immediately shift facts on the ground, but it would isolate Israeli annexation policies and give Palestinians greater legitimacy on the global stage, reshaping the diplomatic battlefield.' Lifting Syria Sanctions
While in Riyadh, President Trump announced the lifting of all US sanctions on Syria, at the request of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – a move that 'marks a major regional realignment,' according to Al-Ansari.
'It signals a shift toward reintegration over isolation, in line with the Arab League's recent normalization trend. The move could weaken Iranian influence, enable refugee return plans, and restore Syria's economic channels. It also reflects Riyadh's rising influence in shaping not just regional security, but US policy,' he explained. Iran Nuclear Deal
The US and Iran are in talks to reach a new nuclear deal to curb Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump extended an 'olive branch' to Iran, but warned Tehran of consequences if it did not make a deal and end its support for proxy groups.
'Trump's offer of a new nuclear deal—coupled with a warning over Iranian proxies—is classic carrot-and-stick diplomacy. The Trump administration is not interested in endless negotiations; he appears to understand Iran's stalling tactics well,' Al-Ansari told Leaders MENA Magazine.
'Tehran now has an option: strike a deal with the US that limits its nuclear ambitions and curbs the involvement of its proxies in the Middle East—or face unprecedented sanctions and a possible military threat,' he said.
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