Scenes of Sports Diplomacy in Trump's Gulf Tour
Mohamed Mahmoud Abdelwahab
The visit of the President of the United States to the Gulf region in mid-May was not traditional; Trump is an exceptional figure, and the version of his second term differs greatly from the first, as he does not care much for diplomatic norms and their boundaries. How could he commit to them if even geographic boundaries do not constrain his economic and investment visions? Talking about annexing Canada to the United States reveals much about his political and economic propositions inside and outside the United States.
And if Trump's statements often involve intimidating rhetoric and rough diplomacy, can he be imagined to believe in the importance of soft power in enhancing the state's image and its foreign relations? Does he realize that public diplomacy might contribute to improving political communication between leaders? And can his administration succeed in using the hosting of international sports events, such as the Club World Cup next June and the joint hosting of the 2026 World Cup, to improve relations with neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico?
Despite all these questions, the evidence points to an exceptional diplomatic pattern that may evolve into a new school in international relations attributed to
Trump
, who is eager to achieve accomplishments credited to him. This is in addition to what the first five months of his second term have shown, whether in superiority diplomacy (as seen in his conversation with the President of South Africa at the White House), acquisition diplomacy (such as the mineral deal with Ukraine), and other features that characterize his handling of foreign policy files, although he has some ideas about developing sports and sports investment, and he has good relations with athletes.
And due to Trump's lack of conviction in the value of traditional tools for implementing his foreign policies and his preference to rely on advisors and influential economic figures — who accompanied him on his first foreign tour, along with the presence of the FIFA president in two stops of the tour — it is important to pause at some scenes of sports diplomacy during his visit to Gulf countries, as football and sports investment are among the most prominent images of public diplomacy. Especially considering that, despite the presence of the FIFA president among the delegation of investors and CEOs accompanying Trump, and Infantino's pride in participating in a tour full of historic agreements, he faced sharp criticism from members of the FIFA Congress — especially the Europeans — for being late to the Congress meeting in Paraguay, considering his visits to Riyadh and Doha as coming at the expense of official obligations and favoring his personal ambitions. Thus, even sports are not free from political calculations at the level of federations.
Scene One: During his participation in the Saudi-American Investment Forum, in the session titled 'The Road to 2034… Partnerships and Progress Towards the World Cup in Saudi Arabia', Infantino affirmed in his speech that Saudi Arabia is one of the world's leading investors in football and that its hosting of the World Cup is a pivotal moment in the history of the world's most popular game. He added that football represents a massive economy, with its related global GDP estimated at about $270 billion annually.
Scene Two: The Emir of Qatar presented Trump with the official ball of the 2022 World Cup, enhancing the role of sports diplomacy in strengthening ties between peoples and countries and showing the position of football in the political and diplomatic arena. Qatar has a successful model in sponsoring European competitions, and Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League title supports that investment which began years ago.
Scene Three: The conversation that took place in Abu Dhabi between Trump and Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of City Group, which addressed the preparations for the opening of the New York City stadium before the 2028 Olympics. Trump showed clear interest in the conversation, which highlights how sports diplomacy contributes to supporting countries' infrastructure, noting that City Group, backed by the Mubadala investment fund, has interests in European and Latin American countries.
These scenes reflect the development of the relationship between sport and investment. It is no longer limited to club acquisitions, but now includes integrated systems involving teams, stadiums, and brand names. The Russian model in Chelsea, followed by the entry of Chinese investors and the Arab investment that began with Mohamed Al-Fayed entering the field of investing in English clubs — all these moves developed rapidly. Sports investment has become more complex and interconnected both locally and internationally.
In conclusion, Trump's visit to Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi draws new features of the intersection between sports, economy, and politics, and affirms the importance of sports diplomacy, which is gaining increasing interest from world leaders as an effective tool to present soft power and strengthen ties between countries beyond the traditional constraints of politics. Gulf countries are among the most prominent models in employing sports to enhance their foreign interests.
read more
Analysis- Turkey Has 0 Regional Allies... Why?
Analysis: Russia, Turkey... Libya in Return For Syria?
Analysis: Who Will Gain Trump's Peace Plan Fruits?
Analysis: Will Turkey's Erdogan Resort to Snap Election?
Analysis: What Are Turkey's Aspirations in Iraq?
Opinion & Analysis
Analysis: Mercenaries In Libya... Who Should Be Blamed?
Opinion & Analysis
Analysis- How 'Libya Nightmare' Takes Erdogan to Algiers
Opinion & Analysis
Analysis: What Happens After Brexit?
Opinion & Analysis
Analysis: Strategic Significance of Libya's Sirte, Jufra!
News
China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier
Sports
Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer
Sports
Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
News
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies
Arts & Culture
New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple
Business
Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
Arts & Culture
Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
News
Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
News
Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
Videos & Features
Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Egypt Independent
4 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
How much damage could Donald Trump do to Elon Musk?
Tesla stock soared in the months after the November presidential election because investors were convinced Donald Trump was about to do massive favors for his largest financial backer, Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But Trump can also do great damage to Musk's many business interests. The risk of that damage is one reason that Tesla shares (TSLA) tumbled 14% in trading Thursday following the very nasty and public spat between Trump and Musk. But it's not just Tesla that could be at risk. SpaceX depends on government contracts for a significant share of its revenue. And Tesla, SpaceX and Musk's other companies, including social media platform X, artificial intelligence company xAI and brain-computer interface company Neuralink all face regulation from the federal government. In addition, Musk faces possible investigations of his own activities from agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is looking into whether he violated rules when purchased his initial stake in X, then called Twitter, ahead of launching his takeover bid for the company. Trump appeared to threaten that he would take such action against Musk, as he posted on his Truth social media platform Thursday that, 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' To which Musk replied on his social media platform X: 'This just gets better and better,' followed by two laughing face emojis, along with 'Go ahead, make my day.' Tesla has relatively few government contracts. But there are numerous federal policies that directly affect its finances, including a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle buyers that allows Tesla and other automakers to raise prices. That was likely worth billions to Tesla last year alone. In addition, Tesla reported more than $8 billion in sales over six years of regulatory credits to other automakers to help them comply with federal and state emission standards. Trump is in favor of rolling back those standards and stripping states of the power to set their own emissions rules, which would destroy the market for those credit sales. A note from JPMorgan to clients Thursday estimates the loss of the EV tax credit could cost Tesla $1.2 billion a year and the loss of regulatory credit sales another $2 billion. Musk has also pegged the future of the growth of Tesla on operating a self-driving taxi service without any driver on board. Tesla's current 'full self driving' offering (FSD) requires a driver to be present to take control of the car. The service is due to debut in Austin, Texas, later this month. He admits his ambitious growth plans could be constrained by regulations. In addition, the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also already announced investigations into accidents involving existing Tesla cars operating with FSD. Many Tesla fans assumed those investigations would be dropped under a Tesla-friendly Trump administration. SpaceX has received $15.2 billion in contracts from NASA, as well as $5.8 billion from the Department of Defense, along with a few million more from other agencies, according to Replacing SpaceX on those contracts, however, is not realistic. That's because there is no other company available to replace it. For example, Boeing, the only other company able transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), had problems on its only crewed flight last year. That required its Starliner spacecraft to return to Earth without two astronauts, who were stranded at the ISS for nine months instead of the planned trip of a handful of days. But SpaceX also is subject to the oversight of both NASA and the FAA. Its Starlink satellite internet communication service is also seeking approval from the FCC to expand its service.
Egypt Independent
5 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Trump reveals why Egypt was excluded from travel ban
U.S. President Donald Trump revealed onThursday, the reason he did not impose a travel ban on citizens of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United States. During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House in Washington, he stated: 'The countries included in the decision don't have things under control, but with Egypt, we are working closely.' Egypt has long been a key partner for the United States in the Middle East. Relations between Cairo and Washington date back to 1922, following Egypt's independence from the United Kingdom, and have continued ever since. According to the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, approximately 450 Egyptians travel to the United States annually on professional and academic exchange programs. The U.S. Embassy stated: 'Egypt is a valuable American partner in counterterrorism, combating human trafficking, and regional security operations, enhancing both American and Egyptian security.' Cairo has played a pivotal role in mediation efforts during Israel's war on Gaza, which Egypt feared could extend across its borders if not contained. Egypt maintains communication channels with both Hamas and Israel, and has sought to broker a ceasefire agreement that would also facilitate the return of hostages. The nations on Trump's travel ban list The White House announced that Trump has issued an executive order banning the entry of citizens from a number of countries into the United States of America, citing national security concerns. A statement from the White House read: 'The executive order imposes full restrictions on the entry of citizens from 12 countries proven to have deficiencies in their screening and vetting procedures, which poses a significant risk to the United States.' It clarified that 'the countries covered by this full ban are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.' 7 high-risk nations The statement added that 'the executive order also imposes partial restrictions on the entry of citizens from 7 other countries deemed high-risk, namely: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.' The White House clarified that 'the decision includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents of the United States, current visa holders, certain special visa categories, and individuals whose entry is deemed necessary to serve U.S. national interests.' Combating terrorism The statement affirmed that these restrictions aim to 'enhance international cooperation in security, enforce U.S. immigration laws, and achieve foreign policy objectives, including combating terrorism.' The statement quoted Trump as saying: 'We will reinstate what is known as the travel ban, which some have called the 'Trump travel ban,' and keep radical Islamist terrorists out of our country, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court.'
See - Sada Elbalad
10 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Trump Highlights Close U.S.–Egypt Co-op on Immigration Amid New Travel Ban
Nada Mustafa U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that the United States is working closely with Egypt regarding immigration to America. During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House in Washington, Trump stated: 'The countries included in the travel ban are those that do not have things under control. But with Egypt, we are working very closely.' Earlier on Thursday, the White House announced that President Trump had issued an executive order banning citizens of several countries from entering the United States. The decision was justified by concerns related to national security. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
