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Trump in the Middle East

News, analysis and comment on the US president's trip to the Gulf, May 13-16 2025

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President Trump struck numerous deals over his three days in the Gulf

The multi-trillion dollar deals agreed on Trump’s trip

During his trip to the Gulf region from May 13 to 16, US president Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE and announced a series of deals across a number of sectors, which, according to the White House, added up to nearly $2.5 trillion. Artificial intelligence Saudi Arabia’s newly-established AI developer Humain said […]

Donald Trump in the Gulf, with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Al Thani said the countries were 'going to another level of relationship'

Qatar takes centre stage on Trump’s Middle East mission

Major deal announcements kept rolling in on Wednesday as Donald Trump travelled from Riyadh to Doha on the second day of his visit to the Gulf. Qatar Airways agreed to purchase up to 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X jets for $96 billion in what the White House described as Boeing’s “largest ever wide-body order”. […]

Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a raft of deals after the president arrived in Riyadh

Arms, investment and AI top list of deals on busy day for Trump

Tens of billions of dollars in new partnerships between the US and Saudi Arabia were announced on Tuesday in Riyadh during the first day of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf. Artificial intelligence, aviation, energy and defence dominated the flurry of deals, with the White House again touting that the kingdom will invest $600 […]

President Donald Trump met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss US relationships with the country

US and UAE agree tech plan as Trump lands in Abu Dhabi

US and Emirati officials agreed a framework to enhance exchanges in advanced technology as Donald Trump arrived in Abu Dhabi on Thursday evening on the third and final leg of his tour of the Gulf. The deal includes commitments from both sides to ensure the shared technology is handled securely, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed […]

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US and UAE energy: President Donald Trump and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attend a business forum at Qasr Al Watan during the final stop of his Gulf visit, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Adnoc says UAE and US to invest $440bn in energy

The UAE and US will spend a combined total of $440 billion in the energy sector by 2035, the head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has said. The US is expected to invest $60 billion in UAE energy projects, a panel at the UAE-US economic dialogue said during US President Donald Trump’s visit […]

Donald Trump was greeted by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Qasr Al Watan

UAE and US to build largest AI campus outside America

The US and UAE will develop a 10 square mile artificial intelligence campus in Abu Dhabi, according to a White House statement on Thursday. It will be the largest such facility outside of America. The announcement came as US President Donald Trump met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr Al […]

President Donald Trump during a visit to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. He says the country will invest $10 billion in the base

Trump says Qatar will invest $10 billion in US airbase

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Qatar will invest $10 billion in coming years in the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of the country’s capital Doha, the largest US military facility in the Middle East. In a speech to US troops at the base during his tour of the Gulf, Trump also said Qatari defence […]

Qatar's Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, speaks during the Doha Forum 2024 at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel ahead of the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum in Doha, Qatar, on December 7, 2024. (Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE

Qatari minister says oil price could put companies out of business

Many oil producing companies could be forced out of the market if crude prices remain below $70 a barrel for a long time, according to Qatar’s energy minister. Saad Al-Kaabi told CNBC, the US cable TV news network, that oil prices of $70 to $85 per barrel are reasonable for producing countries to get enough […]

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

US ‘to let UAE import millions of Nvidia’s AI chips’

The US has a preliminary agreement with the United Arab Emirates to allow it to import 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips per year starting in 2025, sources said. The move will boost the Emirates’ construction of data centres that are vital to developing artificial intelligence models. The sources said the agreement was at least […]

Tareq Amin, CEO of Humain, and Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, on stage at the Saudi-US Investment Forum. PIF-backed Humain is buying 18,000 AI chips from the US company

Saudi Arabia risks AI glut as Trump approves Nvidia sale

Saudi Arabia’s plan to build one of the world’s largest artificial intelligence infrastructures may lead to oversupply in the short term, creating spare capacity for export to other emerging markets, AI experts have said. Although domestic demand is growing, Riyadh’s rollout of compute – computing power for AI – is outpacing current uses. Capacity is […]

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Economic promises seem to outweigh Oman's diplomatic efforts on President Trump's current trip

Why Oman is off Trump’s travel plans

Oman may have negotiated a ceasefire between the US and Yemen’s Houthis, and is the go-between the US and Iran in negotiations around nuclear weapons capability. But it is not among the countries President Donald Trump is visiting in the Arabian Gulf this week. “These Gulf countries Trump is currently visiting are offering trillions of […]

Air Force One is seen on a screen as it lands in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The new plane gifted by Qatar is worth $400m

Trump dismisses concerns over Qatari plane gift

US president Donald Trump has dismissed ethical concerns about his decision to accept a Boeing 747-8 jet as a gift from the Qatari royal family. Trump said it would be “stupid” to turn down the generous offer. The $400 million luxury plane, which would be outfitted to serve as Air Force One, would be one of […]

President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, on the first day of the president's Gulf visit

Saudi Arabia announces AI unit as Trump lands in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia has announced a state-backed artificial intelligence company as President Donald Trump lands in Riyadh. Technology is expected to be high on the agenda during Trump’s tour, which also takes in Qatar and the UAE, as Gulf economies seek improved access to US chips to meet their AI ambitions. The Saudi AI company, called […]

The textile souk in Dubai. Many retailers have been relying on aggressive discounting to attract customers

Dollar rebound offers little relief to UAE retailers

The dollar has jumped in the past 24 hours but it is still trading at around an eight-month low, at least against the euro. For Gulf oil producers, most of whose currencies are pegged to the US currency, the weaker dollar poses a challenge. “The dollar has been part of the collateral damage as investors […]

US President Donald Trump is likely to prioritise lower US pump prices in his Gulf visit

Gulf ready for high-energy talks with Trump

Security, technology transfer and inward investment into the US may dominate the headlines but Gulf leaders meeting President Donald Trump this week are also likely to raise a raft of more humdrum energy issues. For Trump, who makes the first state visit of his second presidency from May 13 to 16, cheaper gasoline at the […]

Donald Trump speaks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a G20 summit. Saudi Arabia will be Trump's first stop on his Gulf visit

Big money, big deals – but Gulf needs FDI clarity from Trump

US President Donald Trump arrives in the Saudi capital Riyadh tomorrow on the first leg of his three-country Gulf visit that will also take in Qatar and the UAE. His overwhelming objective is money and big deals: to sell American goods and secure their investment to the US economy.  With that in mind, the US […]

US President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One. The Qatari 747 is intended to be a replacement

Trump plans to use Qatari 747 as Air Force One

US President Donald Trump’s administration intends to accept a Boeing 747-8 plane as a gift from the Qatari royal family that would be outfitted to serve as Air Force One, according to a source briefed on the matter. The luxury plane, which would be one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the US government, […]

President Donald Trump takes questions as he announces a trade deal with the UK. His administration wants more investment from Gulf nations

US moves to fast-track deals with Middle East nations

The US is setting up a fast-track process to ease greater investment from the Middle East ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf next week. Trump is slated to visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar from May 13-16. The fast-track process includes launching a portal to collect information from foreign investors before […]