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Arab News
17-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Strategic posturing in a multipolar world
US President Donald Trump's tour of the Gulf was far more than a ceremonial engagement. It was a choreographed exercise in strategic projection: part arms bazaar, part geopolitical theater, and part economic sales mission. The timing was critical. US influence in the Middle East is no longer a given, and the region's aspirations have outgrown their historical dependencies. With China extending its reach and Gulf monarchies pursuing bold visions of transformation, the visit tested Washington's continued relevance in a world increasingly defined by multipolarity. True to his brand as a dealmaker, Trump placed commerce at the center of his visit. Announcements of multibillion-dollar agreements dominated the headlines, ranging from expansive arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to infrastructure investments, technology transfers, and fledgling partnerships in artificial intelligence and renewable energy. For Trump, the logic was straightforward: These deals promise jobs back home, project strength abroad, and reinforce his campaign narrative of economic nationalism and American exceptionalism. For Gulf states, Trump's visit reaffirmed their centrality to US strategic calculations. In a region where optics carry geopolitical weight, his presence underscored a clear message: The US is still engaged, and transactional loyalty remains a currency that yields dividends. Gulf leaders extracted more than symbolism. The visit aligned with their sweeping national agendas, from Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and the UAE's industrial diversification to Qatar's long-term investments in energy, education, and technology. Trump's endorsement provides political cover for these domestic overhauls, while insulating them from Western scrutiny. Yet this is not a return to Cold War binaries. Gulf capitals understand the precariousness of relying too heavily on American guarantees, particularly in an era of growing US isolationism. Their strategy is pragmatic: Hedge alliances, broaden partnerships, and deepen autonomy. Looming behind Trump's Gulf tour was the expanding shadow of China. Over the past decade, Beijing has embedded itself across the region, investing in ports, logistics, digital infrastructure, and energy supply chains. It offers rapid deployment of capital, infrastructure efficiency, and diplomatic noninterference — an attractive alternative to the conditionality of Western engagement. US President Donald Trump's tour of the Gulf was far more than a ceremonial engagement. It was a choreographed exercise in strategic projection. Dr. John Sfakianakis The Gulf is not forced to choose between Washington and Beijing. It is leveraging both to extract maximum strategic value. Trump's mission was not to displace China but to reassert America's competitive edge by offering what Beijing cannot: elite military capabilities, intelligence-sharing frameworks, and the legacy of long-term security cooperation. The defense and tech-focused agreements signed during this trip signaled a renewed American willingness to contest influence in the region, not relinquish it. One question haunts the cascade of contracts: How will Gulf states finance these commitments amid persistently low oil prices? Although regional economies have amassed significant sovereign wealth over the past two decades, fiscal pressure is mounting. Budget deficits are widening, subsidy cuts remain politically sensitive, and diversification efforts are still nascent in terms of revenue generation. The answer, for now, lies in the careful management of reserves, reprioritization of capital spending, and a bet that the return on strategic alignment with the US, in terms of security guarantees and investment access, will outweigh the short-term economic strain. But the risk is real; overextension, particularly in a volatile oil market, could jeopardize long-term fiscal stability and delay domestic reforms agendas. Although not headline news during the visit, energy politics remained a critical undercurrent. Military alliances and diplomatic alignment invariably shape oil-production strategies. A revitalized US-Gulf relationship could yield informal coordination on output policy, especially in moments of global economic turbulence. Yet the more profound shift is structural. Gulf economies are accelerating their transitions away from hydrocarbons, altering the very foundations of their relationships with the US. Investment, innovation and industrial collaboration are becoming the new pillars of engagement. This transition will redefine global capital flows, diminish the centrality of the petrodollar, and reshape energy diplomacy for decades to come. Tactically, the visit delivered results. Trump walked away with deals he can market as economic and diplomatic victories. Gulf leaders secured visibility, AI deals, investment, and a reaffirmation of their strategic relevance. But deeper uncertainties persist. Many agreements are aspirational or on the long-term horizon and could be derailed by future US policy reversals. Tying regional strategy too tightly to a single, polarizing figure risks instability should the American political landscape shift. More fundamentally, the visit did not reverse the trajectory of an increasingly multipolar world. The US is now one player in a crowded strategic arena that includes China, Europe, and a rising class of autonomous regional actors. Trump's Gulf visit reinvigorated a crucial relationship. But it did not end the game. That contest continues to unfold — in Washington, in Beijing, and in the Arab Gulf capitals of Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.
Al Jazeera
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Five key takeaways from US President Donald Trump's Middle East trip
Washington, DC – Three days, three countries, hundreds of billions of dollars in investments and a geopolitical shift in the United States's approach to the region: Donald Trump's trip to the Middle East has been eventful. This week, the United States president visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the first planned trip of his second presidency, after attending Pope Francis's funeral last month. Trump was visibly gleeful throughout the trip as he secured investments, criticised domestic political rivals and heaped praise on Gulf leaders. The word 'historic' was used more than a few times by US officials to describe the visits. With Trump returning to the White House, here are five key takeaways from his trip: Addressing an investment summit in Riyadh, Trump promoted a realist approach to the Middle East — one in which the US does not intervene in the affairs of other countries. He took a swipe at neoconservatives who oversaw the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as he lauded Gulf leaders for developing the region. 'This great transformation has not come from Western intervention or flying people in beautiful planes, giving you lectures on how to live and how to govern your own affairs,' he said. 'The gleaming marbles of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called nation-builders, neo-cons or liberal nonprofits like those who spent trillions and trillions of dollars failing to develop Kabul, Baghdad, so many other cities.' Trump built his political brand with his 'America First' slogan, calling for the US to focus on its own issues instead of helping — or bombing — foreign countries. But his words at the investment summit marked a stern rebuke of the neo-cons who dominated Trump's Republican Party a decade ago. 'In the end, the so-called nation-builders wrecked far more nations than they built, and the interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves,' Trump said. It is rare for US presidents to travel to the Middle East and not visit Israel, but Trump omitted the US ally from his itinerary as he toured the region. Skipping Israel was seen as a reflection of the deteriorating ties between the US administration and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This week's trip also came in the context of several moves perceived as evidence of the US marginalising Israel. The US has continued to hold talks with Israel's rival Iran, announced a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen, and conducted unilateral negotiations to release Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a US citizen, from Hamas captivity. Moreover, while touring the Gulf, Trump did not use his remarks to prioritise the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which had been a top goal during his first term. It remains unclear how Trump's decisions will affect the 'special relationship' between the two allies, but experts say it is becoming increasingly apparent that the US no longer views the Middle East solely through the lens of Israel. 'Is it a tactical problem for Netanyahu and the entire pro-Israel lobby? I think it is,' Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University, said of Trump's shift. 'It does throw a wrench in the machinery because it is a president who is showing openly daylight with Israeli decision-making, and not just in rhetoric, but acting on it — leaving Israel out of the process.' With that chasm emerging, some Palestinian rights advocates had hoped that the US president's trip to the region would see Washington pursue a deal to end Israel's war on Gaza. But as Trump marvelled at the luxurious buildings in the Gulf, Israel intensified its bombardment to destroy what's left of the Palestinian territory. No ceasefire was announced, despite reports of continuing talks in Doha. And Israel appears to be pushing forward with its plan to expand its assault on Gaza as it continues to block aid for the nearly two million people in the enclave, leading to fears of famine. United Nations experts and rights groups have described the situation as a genocide. But despite preaching 'peace and prosperity' for both Israelis and Palestinians, Trump made no strong push to end the war during this week's trip. On Thursday, Trump suggested that he has not given up on the idea of depopulating Gaza and turning it over to the US — a proposal that legal experts say amounts to ethnic cleansing. 'I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good. Make it a freedom zone,' he said. 'Let the United States get involved, and make it just a freedom zone.' In a move that surprised many observers, Trump announced from Riyadh that he will offer sanction relief to Syria, as the country emerges from a decade-plus civil war. Trump also met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and described him as a 'young, attractive guy'. A wholesale lifting of sanctions was not expected, in part because of Israel's hostility to the new authorities in Syria. Israeli officials often describe al-Sharaa, who led al-Qaeda's branch in Syria before severing ties with the group, as a 'terrorist'. But Trump said he made the decision to lift the economic penalties against Syria at the request of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 'I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,' the US president said. The White House said on Wednesday that Trump had a list of requests for al-Sharaa, including establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and deporting 'Palestinian terrorists'. Removing US sanctions, which had been imposed on the government of former President Bashar al-Assad, is likely to be a boost for the new Syrian authorities, who are grappling with an ailing economy after years of conflict. 'Lifting sanctions on Syria represents a fundamental turning point,' Ibrahim Nafi Qushji, an economist, told Al Jazeera. 'The Syrian economy will transition from interacting with developing economies to integrating with more developed ones, potentially significantly reshaping trade and investment relations.' In Saudi Arabia, Trump declared that he wants a deal with Iran — and he wants it done quickly. 'We really want them to be a successful country,' the US president said of Iran. 'We want them to be a wonderful, safe, great country, but they cannot have a nuclear weapon. This is an offer that will not last forever. The time is right now for them to choose.' Trump warned Iran that, if it rejects his 'olive branch', he would impose a 'massive maximum pressure' against Tehran and choke off its oil exports. Notably, Trump did not threaten explicit military action against Iran, a departure from his previous rhetoric. In late March, for instance, he told NBC News, 'If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing.' Iran says it is not seeking nuclear weapons and would welcome a stringent monitoring programme of its nuclear facilities. But Israel and some hawks want the Iranian nuclear programme completely dismantled, not just scaled back. US and Iranian officials have held multiple rounds of talks this year, but Tehran says it has not received an official offer from Washington. And Trump officials have not explicitly indicated what the endgame of the talks is. US envoy Steve Witkoff said last month that Iran 'must stop and eliminate' uranium enrichment, but days earlier, he had suggested that enrichment should be brought down to civilian energy levels. Several Gulf countries, including the three that Trump visited this week, have welcomed the nuclear negotiations, as relations between Iran and its Arab neighbours have grown more stable in recent years. Before entering politics, Trump was a real estate mogul who played up his celebrity persona as a mega-rich dealmaker. He appears to have brought that business mindset to the White House. While in the wealthy Gulf region, Trump was in his element. He announced deals that would see Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE buy US arms and invest in American firms. According to the White House, Trump secured a total of $2 trillion in investments from the Middle East during the trip. And his administration is framing the deals as a major political and economic victory for Trump. 'While it took President Biden nearly four years to secure $1 trillion in investments, President Trump achieved this in his first month, with additional investment commitments continuing to roll in,' the White House said. 'President Trump is accelerating investment in America and securing fair trade deals around the world, paving the way for a new Golden Age of lasting prosperity for generations to come.'
News24
16-05-2025
- Business
- News24
'Magnificent', 'handsome': Trump's fascination for Gulf leaders
Trump showered Gulf leaders with praise, avoiding contentious topics, during a tour focused on bromance and billion-dollar deals. He admired Gulf luxury, complimented leaders' appearances, and accepted extravagant gifts, sparking criticism of his ethics. The tour emphasised military might, economic partnerships, and rejection of Western intervention in Gulf affairs. Gulf Arab leaders were 'starving for love', so US President Donald Trump showered them with near-endless praise during a tour this week filled with bromance and billion-dollar deals. Wary of raising contentious topics such as human rights, Trump rained down compliments on the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as he shuttled between palaces, business forums and lavish state dinners. Speaking at an investment conference in Riyadh, he told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "I like you too much!". He said the prince - the kingdom's de facto leader - and Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani were both "tall, handsome guys that happen to be very smart". In Abu Dhabi, he called UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed a "magnificent man" and a "truly great warrior". But perhaps the most surprising compliment of his Gulf tour was the one he paid to Syria's jihadist-turned-president after vowing to lift sanctions on the war-battered country in a surprise announcement in Riyadh. Trump said Ahmed al-Sharaa was "a young, attractive guy" following the first meeting between leaders of the two countries in 25 years. "Oh, what I do for the crown prince," the US president laughed to a roaring applause as he announced the seismic diplomatic shift that Riyadh had lobbied for. His approach was in stark contrast to his predecessor, Joe Biden's infamous fist-bump with the prince when they met after he had vowed to make the kingdom a 'pariah' during his campaign. 'Perfect marble' The wealthy Gulf monarchies' penchant for luxury likely found a receptive audience with Trump. In Qatar, the president - who recently decked out the Oval Office with gilded souvenirs and gold-plated, Trump-branded coasters - complimented the "perfect marble" of the emir's headquarters, the Amiri Diwan. Air Force One was escorted by fighter jets from each Gulf country during the tour -- a gesture likely to have touched the president. Trump has plans to hold a rare military parade in Washington next month to mark the 250th anniversary of the US army alongside his 79th birthday. READ | Ramaphosa heads to White House to mend bridges with US President Donald Trump He lamented that his own presidential plane was much less impressive than Gulf leaders' "brand new" jets in an interview with Fox News. His comments were the latest jab aimed at critics who accused him of blatant corruption after Qatar offered to donate a luxury aircraft ahead of his visit for presidential and then personal use. Trump had charged it would be "stupid" to turn down such a gift, despite facing criticism from his own party. Republican Senator Rand Paul said in a Fox News interview: "I wonder if our ability to judge their human rights record would be clouded by the fact of this large gift". 'Favourite dictator' The US president has long had a fascination for strongmen - calling Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi his "favourite dictator" during his first term. Trump also largely stayed silent on human rights issues during his four-day tour, which focused mainly on sealing billion-dollar deals. Instead, he doubled down, insisting: "Saudi Arabia has proved the critics totally wrong" and calling bin Salman's modernisation drive "truly extraordinary". Addressing an investment forum in Riyadh, he slammed "Western interventionists... giving you lectures on how to live or how to govern your own affairs". He said, taking a shot at previous administrations that oversaw invasions and military interventions abroad, said: The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called 'nation-builders', 'neo-cons' or 'liberal non-profits'. "I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment - my job [is] to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity and peace."
Asharq Al-Awsat
15-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Says Expects Iran Diplomacy Will 'Work Out'
US President Donald Trump voiced hope on Wednesday that diplomatic efforts would succeed on Iran's nuclear program, even as he vowed rigorous enforcement of sanctions. Trump, on his first visit to the Middle East since returning to the White House, said he spoke about Iran with the leader of Qatar, which maintains relations with both longtime adversaries. "It's been really an interesting situation. I have a feeling it's going to work out," Trump said of Iran after talks with the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, AFP reported. The Trump administration has held four rounds of talks with Tehran, as the president seeks to avert a threatened Israeli military strike on the Iranian nuclear program. "I want to make a deal with Iran. I want to do something, if it's possible," Trump told a summit of Gulf Arab leaders in Riyadh earlier Wednesday. "But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. "I'm strongly urging all nations to join us in fully and totally enforcing the sanctions" imposed on Iran by the United States, he said. The Trump administration in recent weeks has imposed sanctions on a series of entities and individuals linked to Iran's oil industry and nuclear program. 'Very deceptive view' In 2018, Trump walked out of a landmark agreement between major powers and Iran that gave it sanctions relief in return for UN-monitored restrictions on its nuclear activities. He slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran, including secondary measures against any country that buys Iranian oil. Trump said that such secondary sanctions "are in certain ways even more devastating" than direct sanctions on Iran. Trump in a speech Tuesday in Riyadh also said he favored diplomacy but harshly criticized Iran's clerical leaders, saying they were "focused on stealing their people's wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad". Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that he had listened to the remarks and "unfortunately a very deceptive view has been put forward". Iranian officials and the Trump administration have both offered positive takes on the initial talks. But it is unclear whether they went in depth, including on the key issue of whether the US will insist on ending all Iranian uranium enrichment, including for civilian purposes. Asked by a reporter on Air Force One whether he was prepared to exert more pressure on Iran, Trump said: "Let's see what happens over the next week." Iran also said it would hold talks in Türkiye on Friday with representatives of Britain, France and Germany. The three European powers were part of the 2015 agreement ripped up by Trump in his first term. "While we continue the dialogue with the United States, we are also ready to talk with the Europeans," Araghchi said.
The National
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israel accused of ‘mega theft' of Palestinian land with new registration process
As Donald Trump and Gulf leaders try to chart a way out of the war in Gaza, Israel's far-right government has taken steps in recent days that could pose a serious threat to a future Palestinian state. In the West Bank, Israel's security cabinet passed a land registration process in what is known as Area C – a region in which Israel has full military and civil control under the Oslo Accords. This was followed by an announcement by the government that it will hold an unprecedented cabinet meeting in a settlement in occupied East Jerusalem to mark Jerusalem Day. The new land registration process would mean that Israel can irreversibly determine the ownership of land. Area C makes up about 60 per cent per cent of the West Bank's territory. The moves affecting the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are the latest in a decades-long encroachment into Palestinian territory that has accelerated during the Gaza war. Campaigners have described the move as a 'mega theft of Palestinian lands'. International law forbids an occupying power – in this instance Israel − from determining who land belongs to, according to Israeli NGO Peace Now. It said the decision would result in 'massive dispossession of Palestinians from most of their lands in Area C' and 'a process of annexation'. It added that entering Israeli citizens into the land registry would also lead to 'legal complications and enormous costs when a two-state political settlement is reached'. A two-state solution remains the preferred way to end the Israel-Palestine conflict by many international powers, including close Israeli allies. Israel's military ordered the freezing of land registration shortly after beginning an occupation in 1967 which continues to this day. The latest decision was lauded by ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition, in which some senior figures live in illegal settlements in the West Bank. Full-blown annexation of the region is a frequently stated goal of many. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a leader in the settler movement, said the move means 'Israel is taking responsibility for the territory as a permanent sovereign'. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the purpose of the registration process was 'to strengthen, consolidate and expand settlement in [the West Bank]'. Two days later, the government said it would hold a cabinet meeting in an East Jerusalem settlement to celebrate Jerusalem Day. The Israeli holiday marks the moment the country took full control of Jerusalem in 1967. The Jerusalem Day holiday covers the evening of May 25 and May 26. The event, which will take place in the Palestinian area of Silwan, was reportedly discouraged by the internal security service Shin Bet, who were concerned about whether they could secure the site. Mr Netanyahu's office dismissed the report, saying that the government 'is proud to hold its special meeting to mark Jerusalem Day in the City of David − the cradle of our national heritage and the heart of our united and eternal capital'. City of David National Park, where the meeting is set to take place, is run by settler group Elad. Israeli encroachment into Palestinian territory in East Jerusalem has fuelled clashes in the past, including on Jerusalem Day. This involves an ultranationalist rally through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, and has seen Israeli far-right and police violence against Palestinians in recent years.
