Analysis Finance 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 […]
Opinion Trade Trump’s Gulf visit was grand – but the real test starts now Pledges and deals may change when reality hits
Trade 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”. […]
Trade 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 […]
Tech 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 […]
Energy 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 […] May 16, 2025
Artificial Intelligence 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 […] May 16, 2025
Opinion Trade Lesson from Trump in Riyadh: Sleep is for losers The Trump show had it all – razzamatazz, politics and a moment of affection for the crown prince May 15, 2025
Defence 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 […] May 15, 2025
Oil & Gas 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 […] May 15, 2025
Artificial Intelligence 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 […] May 15, 2025
Analysis Artificial Intelligence 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 […] May 15, 2025
Opinion Tech The US should launch a Gulf biotechnology partnership Biotech leaders stand to benefit from deeper integration with Gulf capital, infrastructure and markets May 14, 2025
Opinion Trade Trump in his happy place: Purple carpets and big deals in Saudi Arabia The challenge now is to maintain the momentum and atmosphere of the trip May 14, 2025
Trade 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 […] May 14, 2025
Opinion Energy Nuclear power is a hot-button issue for Trump’s Gulf visit Nuclear power has been very helpful in driving rapid decarbonisation of the UAE’s electricity sector May 13, 2025
Aviation 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 […] May 13, 2025
Artificial Intelligence 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 […] May 13, 2025
Analysis Retail 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 […] May 13, 2025
Analysis Oil & Gas 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 […] May 13, 2025
Opinion Trade Trump in Riyadh: power plays and photo ops It is hard to predict what the big headline will be, but it would be wise not to rule anything out May 12, 2025
Analysis Trade 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 […] May 12, 2025
Aviation 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, […] May 12, 2025
Finance 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 […] May 9, 2025
Opinion Markets GCC investors need a multi-currency mindset to survive Investors are scrambling to reduce exposure to erratic US policies May 8, 2025