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Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Trump heads to UAE, Saudi, Qatar eyeing more investment, diplomacy, experts say
As US President Donald Trump begins what is being described as a "historic visit" to the Middle East, all eyes are on the region. This is the first international tour of Trump's second term as the American president and is likely to have wider implications. 'It signifies [Trump's] business pursuits to Make America Great Again and the importance of the Gulf in global affairs, both as a business centre and as a diplomatic hub,' said Dr N. Janardhan, Director of Research and Analysis and Acting Academic Director at Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. Another researcher noted that it was a marked departure from previous American leaders. 'This has a lot of significance because usually US presidents typically choose the closest allies such as Canada, France or the UK or Mexico for the first visit,' Hussain Abdul-Hussain, research fellow at the Washington-based thinktank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Khaleej Times. 'So the choice of the Gulf as the destination of his first visit carries a lot of significance from an American perspective.' According to a statement by the White House, Trump's trip signals that the US is eager to lure more investment from abroad. Dubai-based Suzanne Kianpour, an Iranian American global affairs specialist and founder and CEO of social impact platform Helmet to Heels, noted that this move cemented Trump's reputation as a 'deal maker' above everything else. 'He's worried less about the sensitivities of international diplomacy than with striking deals which benefit businesses both in the US and the GCC,' she said. She added that the proposed investment by Damac in US data centres and the new Disney park in Abu Dhabi are all part of mutually beneficial agreements that will further strengthen the ties between UAE and the US. 'For Trump, it's the art of the deal,' she said. Rebooting relationships After arriving in Riyadh on Tuesday Trump will make stops at Doha and Abu Dhabi. Dr N. Janardhan said that 'plenty of deals' are expected to be signed. 'The visit is more about economics than politics or policy,' he said. 'Tech, arms, energy, infrastructure, aviation, and critical minerals deals will rule the roost. The recent billions and even trillion-dollar investment commitments that the Gulf countries have made in the recent past would take better form and shape during the visit.' Hussain agreed and added that each of the countries 'will have its own set of announcements' to make after the visit, most of which will be economic in nature. 'In the case of Saudi Arabia, a few months back Trump said that they will pay half a trillion dollars in investments in the U.S. economy,' he said. 'So there'll be a set of MoUs to be signed between the two sides. I also expect Trump to give waivers to the sale of sensitive AI technology to Saudi Arabia and the UAE- which will come at a high price tag. So there'll be a lot of money that these countries will pay to invest in American AI.' In March this year, UAE committed to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment in the US after national security advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Trump. Suzanne added that with the visit, Trump was 'rebooting his ties' with the region that he formed during his first presidency. 'He is confirming mega‑investments and setting the stage to create jobs at home,' she said. 'He is also emerging victorious with a Qatari‑brokered release of an Israeli American hostage and talking Trump‑branded resorts. He is also ushering in a new era of deal-making on the coveted commodity that is chips, clean energy, Red Sea security and a tougher Iran deal.' GCC summit In Saudi Arabia, there will be a Gulf-US summit during Trump's visit- one that other GCC leaders have been invited to attend. Hussain noted that during the summit, there will likely be a joint statement. 'That will address issues pertaining to the region such as Gaza or maybe Lebanon or the Iranian situation,' he said. Suzanne said that Trump will want to advance the Abraham Accords. 'We do know that the Trump administration really wants to see the next iteration of the Abraham Accords, which was the prime diplomatic achievement during Trump's first presidency,' she said. 'They want to see that expanded to Saudi Arabia.' Dr. Janardhanan added that the impact on regional politics would be 'more positive than negative' in contrast to his 2017 visit. 'Washington will likely strike a delicate balance among the Gulf, Israeli, Palestinian, and Iranian concerns, among others,' he said. 'Given the big-ticket business deals that are likely to be announced, Washington is unlikely to jeopardise economic gains by excessively focusing on political or security issues.'
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Hegseth reveals plans to counter China, stay ahead in arms race as Pentagon pivots to Indo-Pacific
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is working to stay ahead in modern warfare amid drone and artificial intelligence advancements on the battlefield. Hegseth, a former "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host, sat down with "The Will Cain Show" Monday at the Pentagon, where he laid out the Trump administration's posture toward China amid an arms race with the communist country and adversaries like Russia and Iran. "We concede nothing to the communist Chinese. We're creating dilemmas for them at every level," he said. The Pentagon boss added that the White House is invested in the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine but is shifting its attention to countering China in the Indo-Pacific, a move reflected in Hegseth's first overseas trip to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Japan. China has made significant advancements in drone production, with reports that the country is preparing to launch a new drone-carrying mothership capable of releasing up to 100 smaller drones at a time. Chinese technology company DJI touts itself as the world's leading manufacturer of consumer and commercial drones and has a hefty presence in U.S. and Asian markets. Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the non-partisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the Shenzhen-based company dominates the global drone market, controlling more than 70% of the worldwide market share. "That's alarming, because DJI drones are essentially data collectors for Beijing — giving China potential access to sensitive infrastructure imagery, flight patterns, and more. It's not just a market-share problem — it's a national security threat," he said. Hegseth told Fox News host Will Cain that the Pentagon understands the motives and capabilities of the Chinese government and wants to build up a U.S. military that's capable of deterring any future conflict between the two nations. "We don't want that conflict. You showed how big they are," he said, referring to a graphic that compares and contrasts the United States' active personnel, warships and nuclear weapons to China's. "President Trump has a great relationship with Xi Jinping — we think that's a good thing. And we stared them down on trade — we think that's a good thing. Rebalancing that dynamic is important. We're the ones in the background trying to say we would always prefer to resolve this peacefully. But we're gonna do that by being as strong as possible to meet their threat at every turn." The United States Marine Corps established an attack drone team earlier this year to respond to the rapid development of armed first-person view (FPV) drone technology and tactics, offering a glimpse into the evolving landscape of modern warfare and how future battles could be fought. The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team will be based at the Weapons Training Battalion, Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. The FPV drones used will offer squad-level lethality at a range of up to 20 kilometers, nearly 12.5 miles, for under $5,000, compared to more expensive weapons systems with less capability, according to a press release from the service.
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Why I'm 'Very Skeptical' The Trump-Putin Phone Call Will Lead To A Lasting Ceasefire: FDD President
On "Forbes Newsroom," Clifford May, the founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, reacted to the phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Watch the full interview above.
South China Morning Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan more likely to face blockade or economic warfare from Beijing than invasion: panel
Beijing is more likely to carry out a blockade or economic warfare against Taiwan rather than an invasion, witnesses and lawmakers said at a congressional hearing on Thursday, even as they urged the US to prepare for all scenarios. 'The most likely scenario is they're going to try this cyber-enabled economic warfare campaign,' said Mark Montgomery, a retired US rear admiral and senior director at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, testifying before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party 'Beijing will want to force Taiwan's capitulation through less drastic methods' than a military takeover, he added. As for what such a campaign would entail, Montgomery believed it would target Taiwan's financial, energy and telecommunications sectors, and involve 'malicious' cyber activity. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to arming it. Play
