By Jairo Mejía
Abu Dhabi, May 16 (EFE).— US President Donald Trump wrapped up his four-day tour of the Gulf on Friday with pledges of “billions of dollars” in deals for American companies and a warm welcome from Arab leaders, but returns home facing skepticism from Israel and little movement on nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Trump was received with opulence and praise in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), returning to Washington “delighted” with the fanfare accompanied by rising concerns in Israel over US military deals in the region.
Trump appeared enchanted by the pageantry of his hosts, calling Gulf customs a “wonderful culture” and praising the UAE’s “perfect” use of white marble, Bedouin honor guards, and grandiose palaces.
According to the White House, Trump secured “between three and a half to four billion” dollars in trade deals during the trip, some of which could take up to a decade to fully materialize.
More immediate agreements include Qatar and Etihad Airways purchasing Boeing aircraft and fresh defense sales to the region.
The Breakdown of Billions
Among the biggest commitments was the UAE’s previously announced $1.4 trillion investment over the next decade in semiconductors, AI, and manufacturing, which was reemphasized during Trump’s visit.
The presentation of what’s being called the world’s largest AI campus outside the US, attended by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, gave the plan new visibility.
In Saudi Arabia, Trump presided over a high-level business forum featuring top Wall Street figures, Elon Musk, Larry Fink, and Sam Altman among them, where $600 billion in deals were announced, including a record $142 billion defense package hailed by the White House as “the largest cooperation agreement ever agreed” by Washington.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman closely accompanied Trump throughout his trip and continued to push for access to US F-35 fighter jets, currently only deployed by Israel in the region.
Israeli Concerns While Israel was notably absent from Trump’s itinerary, concerns were raised in the country over his warming ties with Arab states and potential shifts in regional military balances.
Trump, addressing the issue en route to Qatar, insisted that improved relations with the Arab world “are good for Israel.” “Essentially with all of the Middle East, and I think that’s good for Israel.”
Trade, Not War
A landmark of the trip was Trump’s first meeting with Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al Sharaa.
Trump announced the lifting of US sanctions on Syria to help the country “shine again,” a sharp pivot considering al Sharaa was until recently deemed a jihadist and terrorist by US authorities.
On Iran, Trump continued to press for a nuclear agreement, emphasizing that he prefers making trade deals over pursuing military conflict.
“I don’t want to build nations. I want to make deals,” he said, offering Tehran an “olive branch” while warning of economic collapse if it does not accept Washington’s firm proposal to abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Gaza Silence
Less clear were Trump’s intentions regarding the Palestinian question. Despite speculation ahead of the tour that he might the idea of a Palestinian state, no such statement emerged.
Asked about the escalating violence in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes killed at least 136 people in the past 24 hours, Trump said only that “many good things are going to happen over the next month” and acknowledged the humanitarian crisis. “We’re going to have to help the Palestinians too. A lot of people are starving in Gaza.”
During his Thursday stop in Doha, he expressed a desire for Gaza to become a “zone of freedom,” but again avoided direct criticism of Israeli military actions. EFE
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