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Times of Oman
17-05-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Trump's Gulf visit signals potential shift in Middle East policy
Cairo: US President Donald Trump departed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday afternoon, concluding a lucrative four-day Gulf tour, which had also taken him to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Despite expectations that Trump's visit could help calm the conflict in Gaza and ease regional tensions, the US president instead focused his Middle East visit primarily on economic gain, securing multi-trillion-dollar investment commitments from the three Gulf countries. Analysts believe that, by sidestepping the region's conflict zones and prioritising business deals, Trump's tour signals a potential pivot in US Middle East policy. Massive commercial deals defined Trump's Middle East tour. From the outset of his second term, Trump signalled that his first major foreign trip would emphasize promoting US economic interests. On his inauguration day in January, Trump stated he would choose Saudi Arabia as his first destination "if Saudi Arabia wanted to buy another $450, or $500 billion (worth of US products)." Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Trump secured an investment agreement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, locking in $600 billion in investments into the United States. Among the deals signed was "the largest defence sales agreement in history -- nearly $142 billion dollars," said a White House statement. Under this agreement, the United States will supply Saudi Arabia with "state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defence firms." In Qatar, Trump cut a deal with the Gulf nation to generate "an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion." He also secured commercial deals worth over $243.5 billion, including the sale of 210 US-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X jets to Qatar Airways, valued at $96 billion. In the UAE, the final stop of the trip, Trump announced $200 billion in bilateral commercial agreements, bringing "the total of investment agreements in the Gulf region to over $2 trillion," the White House noted. Trump's trip to the Middle East "is all about money," said Rodger Shanahan, a Middle East analyst at the Lowy Institute. "The Gulf states are a source of foreign investment for the United States of a size that makes for good announcements." "VAGUE ROLE" IN EASING TENSIONS Despite hopes that Washington would leverage its special ties with Israel to promote a ceasefire and reduce regional tensions, the United States has yet to take meaningful steps toward resolving Middle East conflicts. During Trump's visit, Israel continued large-scale airstrikes on Gaza, killing dozens daily. In Yemen, Houthi forces and Israel engaged in ongoing retaliatory attacks, while frequent Israeli military strikes against Lebanon resulted in casualties. Although the United States claimed to aim for Middle East peace, "the reality on the ground contradicts the US stated goals," said Mostafa Amin, an Egyptian researcher on Arab and international affairs. "The killings ... by Israel during Trump's visit raise serious questions about the sincerity of any US peace efforts." Further disappointment among Arab nations came from Trump's inflammatory remarks on occupying Gaza. At a roundtable with Qatari officials in Doha, he suggested the United States should "take" Gaza and reshape its future. "I think I'd be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone," he said before reporters. "Let some good things happen, put people in homes where they can be safe, and Hamas is going to have to be dealt with." "He referenced peace only in the context of hostage releases," observed Amjad Abu al-Ezz, a political science professor at the Arab American University in the West Bank. "There was no mention of a ceasefire, de-escalation or even basic humanitarian corridors (in Gaza)." Trump did not hesitate to criticize Iran during his trip, calling it "the most destructive force" in the Middle East and accusing it of fueling regional instability. His remarks drew sharp rebukes from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, further heightening already tense US-Iran relations. "Although Trump's visit yielded some economic gains, the United States has yet to present clear solutions to the underlying regional tensions," said Ali Johar, a UAE political analyst. By focusing solely on its economic interests and overlooking the concerns of regional populations, Washington appears to be drifting into a "vague role" in addressing the area's conflicts, Johar noted. POTENTIAL POLICY SHIFT Trump's trip not only overlooked Arab world concerns but also appeared to sideline Israel's sensitivities. Unlike his first presidential trip to the Middle East in 2017, Trump's latest visit excluded Israel from his itinerary. On the eve of his arrival, reports surfaced that the United States had even held direct talks with Hamas, culminating in the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander. "Skipping Israel was seen as a reflection of the deteriorating ties between the US administration and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," noted an Al Jazeera analysis. While in the UAE, Trump acknowledged that "a lot of people are starving in Gaza," a rare statement interpreted as a sign of his growing frustration over Israel's prolonged military campaign. Analysts suggest Trump, known for his America-first, pragmatic stance, is losing patience with Israel. "For decades, Israel has leveraged its special relationship with the United States to serve as a gatekeeper to Washington," the Times of Israel wrote in an opinion piece, observing that many in Israel "worried that the best partner they've ever had in the White House had lost interest." This concern is not unfounded. Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council, said the Trump administration would rather "swim in a stream of Gulf investments than get bogged down in the region's enduring problems." Apparently, the United States is shifting its focus and policy priorities toward the Gulf region and the economic field, Kheir Diabat, a professor in the International Affairs Department at Qatar University, observed. "While economic cooperation is certainly beneficial for the region," Diabat added, "what the United States should prioritise now is taking its responsibility and helping restore stability to the Middle East."
Washington Post
17-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
How to produce a statistic for a White House news release
Every presidential administration hypes the numbers in economic deals. Bill Clinton, for instance, claimed the North American Free Trade Agreement would create 1 million jobs. Well, that was a mistake, a placeholder figure that was accidentally left in his prepared remarks, but it's emblematic of the phony math behind the figures that often dominate the headlines.
Arabian Business
15-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Donald Trump in Qatar: US President announces $1.2tn economic exchange
US President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Qatar to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2tn as part of his tour of the Gulf. President Trump also announced economic deals totalling more than $243.5bn between the United States and Qatar, including an historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways. The landmark deals will drive innovation and prosperity, said the Whitehouse in a statement. Donald Trump in Qatar Among the deals secured in Qatar were: Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a landmark order from Qatar Airways, a $96bn agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines. This is Boeing's largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order McDermott has a strong partnership with Qatar Energy in advancing critical energy infrastructure, with seven active projects worth $8.5bn Parsons has successfully won 30 projects worth up to $97bn Quantinuum finalised a Joint Venture Agreement with Al Rabban Capital, a prominent Qatari company. Qatar will invest up to $1bn in state-of-the-art quantum technologies and workforce development provided by the Joint Venture The agreements mark President Trump's intent to accelerate Qatar's defence investment in the US-Qatar security partnership—enhancing regional deterrence and benefitting the US industrial base. The defence deals lock in Qatar's procurement of state-of-the-art military equipment from two leading US defence companies. Raytheon, an RTX business, secured a $1bn agreement for Qatar's acquisition of counter-drone capabilities, signed by the US and Qatari governments. This deal establishes Qatar as the first international customer for Raytheon's Fixed Site – Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS). General Atomics secured a nearly $2bn agreement for Qatar's acquisition of the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system, signed by the US and Qatari governments. The United States and Qatar also signed a statement of intent to further strengthen our security partnership, outlining more than $38bn in potential investments including support for burden-sharing at Al Udeid Air Base and future defence capabilities related to air defence and maritime security. The agreements and instruments aim to drive the growth of the US-Qatar bilateral commercial relationship, create thousands of well-paying jobs, and open new trade and investment opportunities for both countries over the coming decade and beyond.
Al Jazeera
15-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
What do the Gulf states gain from the US president's historic visit?
United States President Donald Trump has signed several economic deals on his visit to the Gulf region. One of the biggest deals was signed in Qatar, where Boeing secured its largest-ever order of wide-body jets from Qatar Airways. Doha also promised to invest more than $10bn in the Al Udeid Air Base, one of the US's biggest military facilities in the world. Trump says he's forging a future with the Middle East defined by commerce, not chaos. But could that mean regional stability and security are now taking a back seat? And how likely is it that the US president would throw US weight behind ending the devastating war in Gaza? Presenter: Dareen Abughaida Guests: Faisal al-Mudahka – Editor-in-chief, Gulf Times Andreas Krieg – Senior lecturer, King's College London's School of Security Studies Paul Musgrave – Associate professor of government, Georgetown University in Qatar
Times of Oman
15-05-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Trump secures USD 1.2 trillion US-Qatar deal spanning aviation, energy and technology
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump announced several agreements with Qatar valued at over USD 243.5 billion, alongside a broader economic exchange worth at least USD 1.2 trillion. Signed during a visit to Qatar, the deals include sectors from aviation and energy to defence and quantum technology. Highlighting a landmark Boeing-GE Aerospace sale to Qatar Airways--Boeing's largest-ever widebody order--the agreements are expected to support over 1 million US jobs and deepen strategic cooperation between Washington and Doha. The White House released a statement on Wednesday stating, "Today in Qatar, President Donald J. Trump signed an agreement with Qatar to generate an economic exchange worth at least USD 1.2 trillion. President Trump also announced economic deals totalling more than USD 243.5 billion between the United States and Qatar, including a historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways." The statement added, "The landmark deals celebrated today will drive innovation and prosperity for generations, bolster American manufacturing and technological leadership, and put America on the path to a new Golden Age. Allies like Qatar are partnering in the United States' success." Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a landmark order from Qatar Airways, a USD 96 billion agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines. This is Boeing's largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order. This historic agreement will support 154,000 US jobs annually, totalling over 1 million jobs in the United States during the course of production and delivery of this deal. According to the White House, Qatar will invest up to USD 1 billion in state-of-the-art quantum technologies and workforce development provided by the Joint Venture, supporting US and Qatari jobs and leadership in this critical emerging technology. "Today's signings mark President Trump's intent to accelerate Qatar's defence investment in the US-Qatar security partnership--enhancing regional deterrence and benefiting the US industrial base. The defence deals secured today lock in Qatar's procurement of state-of-the-art military equipment from two leading US defence companies," the White House added. Raytheon, an RTX business, secured a USD 1 billion agreement for Qatar's acquisition of counter-drone capabilities, signed by the US and Qatari governments. This deal establishes Qatar as the first international customer for Raytheon's Fixed Site - Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), designed to counter unmanned aircraft. The deal directly supports high-skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs in the United States and reinforces America's leadership in innovative defence technologies. General Atomics secured a nearly USD 2 billion agreement for Qatar's acquisition of the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system, signed by the US and Qatari governments. This deal will strengthen the US-Qatar bilateral relationship and provide the Qatari Armed Forces with the most advanced multi-mission remotely piloted aircraft in the world, powered by US products made in America. The United States and Qatar also signed a statement of intent to further strengthen their security partnership, outlining over USD 38 billion in potential investments, including support for burden-sharing at Al Udeid Air Base and future defence capabilities related to air defence and maritime security. The White House added, "These new agreements and instruments aim to drive the growth of the US-Qatar bilateral commercial relationship, create thousands of well-paying jobs, and open new trade and investment opportunities for both countries over the coming decade and beyond." The US president is on a four-day trip to the Gulf, during which he first visited Saudi Arabia, which was also the venue for his first state visit during his first term in office between 2016 and 2020. His last stop would be the UAE.
