Can Saudi Arabia use investment flattery to woo Trump during visit?
The US president's top priorities will be shoring up US investment from the Gulf, discussing cease-fires in Ukraine and Gaza and the threat of Iran.
US President Donald Trump is due to visit the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, as soon as early May on his first international trip since beginning his second presidential term on Jan. 20.
On March 31, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he would visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well as possibly other countries in the region as early as May.
Since his last presidential visit to the Middle East during his first term, the region’s geopolitical dynamics have drastically changed. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza for 18 months, while Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key mediator in Ukraine-Russia cease-fire talks. Gulf countries remain flush with capital from energy exports and Iran and its proxies continue to pose a regional threat. Despite the changes, the Middle East remains a top priority for the president, who in 2017 made Saudi Arabia and Israel his first international stops.
Deals, deals, deals
