RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — US President Donald Trump is headed for the Gulf, bypassing longtime Western allies in his first major foreign visit aimed at securing investments from a trio of oil-rich Arab states.

Trump will arrive in the region as his administration juggles negotiations to end the Gaza war and finalize a deal to block Iran's nuclear ambitions. But such regional security matters are likely to take a back seat to splashy business deals during stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. On Friday White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt described Trump’s trip, which begins Tuesday in Riyadh, as advancing a vision in which “extremism is defeated [through] commerce and cultural exchanges.” 

​​Saudi Arabia has already pledged to invest some $600 billion in the United States over the next four years, although analysts say it's a somewhat symbolic gesture that includes existing contracts for US military equipment. The UAE has also committed to a $1 trillion investment framework over the next decade.  

Anna Jacobs, a nonresident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, expects Trump to prioritize headline-grabbing agreements during the three-and-a-half-day trip.