US President Receives Warm Welcome from Gulf leaders as He Seeks New Investments

When Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a whirlwind visit to the Middle East, he arrived in his happy place.

The stakes could not be higher across the region. Conflict rumbles on in Gaza, the Houthis continue to launch missiles from Yemen, Israel is making noises about attacking Iran, and there are oil, trade and investment talks under way.

Yet Mr Trump is avoiding the hotspots for three Gulf states that are crucial to Washington’s regional strategy without being at the heart of the turmoil.

He received a warm welcome from the leader of Saudi Arabia and will also meet leaders in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom have cash to invest in the US.

So while Joe Biden agonised for weeks over how to greet Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman (MBS) after calling his country a pariah, settling eventually on an awkward fist bump out of view of his travelling press pack, Mr Trump faced no such qualms.

Jon Alterman, senior vice-president of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said: “It’s hard for me to escape the idea that President Trump is going to the Gulf because this is his happy place.

“His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They’ll be keen to make deals.”

His choice bucks tradition. Before Trump, Mexico or Canada had been the first or second foreign destination for almost every US president since the Second World War.

The decision highlights a wider White House strategy. Officials see the region as a “hinge,” connecting America, China and Europe as the engines of the global economy.

Critics see another motive: personal profit.

The Trump Organisation last month announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar.

It shows the president’s family business has no intention of slowing the pace of foreign dealings during Mr Trump’s second term.

It adds to a Trump golf course in Dubai, where a second is now under construction, and three developments in Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president was not expected to meet anyone involved in those projects during his trip. And she hit back angrily at any insinuation that was the case.

“I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” she said during her regular White House briefing.

Mr Trump’s visit is taking him to three of the world’s richest nations, whose leaders have the sort of wealth and gold-edged trappings that the president admires.

His addition of golden frames and mouldings to the Oval Office, and the glittering tapestries in his Mar-a-Lago home shows he shares not just a taste for luxury with his hosts, but an entire aesthetic.

Saudi Arabia also offers Mr Trump a venue free from the sort of political tension he might face elsewhere, in capitals riled by tariffs and trade disputes.

Gulf states are also not known for the sort of street demonstrations that would be seen if he visited Canada, Mexico or the UK.

The region has other good vibes for Trump, according to Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

He was feted by its leaders during his first visit in 2017.

And, when much of the rest of his foreign policy received decidedly mixed reviews, his efforts to build relations between Israel and Arab states through the Abraham Accords were a high point.

“I think he has positive, fond memories of what his administration was able to do there, at least on the Abraham Accords,” he said.

The war in Gaza and tensions with Iran are providing an awkward backdrop to the visit. Do not expect quick progress there, added Mr Katulis, but rather a rash of investment announcements.

The region’s deep pockets mean there is rich pickings for a president who wants to drive investment and job growth at home. Mr Trump is seeking major new investments in infrastructure, technology and energy ventures.

And he will find willing partners, said Mr Alterman.

“The Gulf itself is a developer’s dream, with mangrove swamps and sand dunes transformed into glittering complexes of malls, apartments, and fountains – often owned by people with connections to the rulers,” he said.

“It seems to me that, in the president’s mind, this is the world as it should be.”

Mr Trump spent the weekend teeing up a string of huge announcements: the release of the last American hostage held by Hamas, a deal to ease tariffs with China, and he confirmed that he was planning to accept a bling-filled 747 from Qatar to serve as Air Force One.

Expect more deals during the next three days, but they are likely to be investments in the US rather than the sort of geo-strategic agreements that would end simmering conflicts.

The Saudi government is hosting an investment forum with David Sacks, White House crypto tsar, and other top business leaders. Elon Musk, the Tesla founder and close aide to Mr Trump, is also there.

MBS has already promised $600 billion for the United States during the next four years, a number Mr Trump says he wants to double.

And in Qatar, the US president is expected to seal hundreds of billions of dollars in deals, including the $2 billion sale of Reaper drones.