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Fox News
15-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump makes historic UAE visit as first US president in nearly 20 years
President Donald Trump on Thursday arrived in the United Arab Emirates for his final stop in the Middle East this week in a visit that marked the first time a U.S. president has traveled to the nation in nearly 20 years, following President George W. Bush's trip in 2008. Trump, who has secured major business deals first in Saudi Arabia and then Qatar, is expected to announce more agreements with what has long been one of the U.S.' chief trading partners in the region — though given recently announced trillion-dollar deals, it is unclear what more the Emiratis will agree to. In March, the UAE pledged a $1.4 trillion investment in the U.S. economy over the next decade through AI infrastructure, semiconductor, energy and American manufacturing initiatives, including a plan to nearly double U.S. aluminum production by investing in a new smelter for the first time in 35 years. On the eve of the president's visit to the Middle Eastern nation, the State Department also announced a $1.4 billion sale of CH-47 F Chinook helicopters and F-16 fighter jet parts to Abu Dhabi. However, lawmakers on Wednesday suggested they may block this sale amid concerns over direct personal business ties, as Trump's crypto venture has also received a $2 billion investment by a UAE-backed investment firm. "If I was a betting person, I'd bet that the Emiratis almost certainly kept some things in reserve for President Trump's actual visit that can be announced when he's on the ground in Abu Dhabi," John Hannah, former national security advisor to Dick Cheney and current Randi & Charles Wax senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), told Fox News Digital. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see some new items unveiled or some additional details put out on some of the earlier announcements." "The UAE has clearly staked its future on being the Middle East leader in a wide range of 21st-century technologies, from AI to chips to space," he added. "And of course, the shopping list for high-end weapons is almost limitless and always a possible deliverable for a trip like this." Increased scrutiny arose around Trump's Middle East tour as engagement with all three nations holds personal value to him, given the Trump Organization's luxury resorts, hotels, golf courses, real estate projects and crypto investment schemes in the region. But all three nations also hold significant value to Washington, as they have become key players in some of the toughest geopolitical issues facing the U.S. and its allies. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been integral in facilitating U.S. negotiations when it comes to ending Russia's war in Ukraine and hostage negotiations in the Gaza Strip. While neither of these issues appeared to be top points of discussion in Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia or Qatar, he may hit on geopolitical ties more heavily when it comes to the UAE, particularly given that Abu Dhabi is one of the few Middle Eastern nations that holds normalized diplomatic ties with Israel. The UAE has ardently opposed Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, has called for a two-state solution, and has rejected Trump's "riviera plans," instead favoring an Egypt-reconstruction alternative. But Abu Dhabi has also maintained relations with the U.S.' biggest adversaries, including China, Russia and Iran, which could be a topic of conversation during Trump's one-day visit. "As everywhere on this trip, the headlines will likely be dominated by the dollar signs and deal-making," Hannah said. "But I'm personally most interested in the geopolitical angle of trying to reset the U.S.-Emirati strategic partnership, especially in the context of America's great power competition with China and to a lesser extent Russia, and regionally with Iran." Hannah explained that Trump's visit to the UAE exemplifies a recommitment by the U.S. economically and militarily to support Abu Dhabi's "stability, security, and success in a dangerous neighborhood" and could "pay real dividends going forward." "The UAE's top leadership has come to believe that putting most of its eggs into the American basket was an increasingly risky bet as one president after another decided that the Middle East was a lost cause — nothing but 'blood and sand' as President Trump famously said in his first term — and the country needed to pivot its focus toward Asia," he continued. "With a country as influential and resource-rich as the UAE, correcting that unhelpful perception and putting the strategic relationship back on a much more positive dynamic is an important goal."
Al Arabiya
13-05-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
US approves $1.4 billion weapons sale to UAE
US officials said Monday the State Department has authorized the sale of $1.4 billion worth of military aircraft and equipment to the United Arab Emirates, ahead of President Donald Trump's visit this week. The proposed sale to the Gulf state involves six CH-47F Chinook helicopters and other equipment for $1.32 billion that would 'support the foreign policy and national security of the United States,' officials from the State Department Bureau of Political–Military Affairs said in a statement. 'The UAE will use these assets in search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian support, and counterterrorism operations,' they said. 'The United Arab Emirates is a vital US partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.' Trump is scheduled to visit the oil-rich states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE this week to discuss diplomatic needs on Gaza and Iran, along with major business deals that could touch on anything from defense and aviation to energy and artificial intelligence. In addition to the helicopters, the State Department has approved the sale of $130 million in F-16 fighter jet components. In a separate release, State Department officials said the F-16 parts would improve the UAE's 'ability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity to meet its national defense requirements.' Congress has 30 days to block the proposed sale.
