Trump in the Gulf states: billion dollar deals and crisis talks!

Trump in the Gulf states: billion dollar deals and crisis talks!

US President Donald Trump began his multi-day trip to the Gulf States on May 16, 2025, which included Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The visit was marked by a lavish reception intended to underline the importance of this region for American foreign policy. Trump used the opportunity to thank Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for modernizing the kingdom and turned the focus to economic investments.

The Gulf states announced investment commitments worth several hundred billion US dollars. However, these promises were interpreted as vague because they also included old, unfulfilled commitments. In addition, the low oil price threatens to influence the actual willingness to invest. According to reports from Tagesschau, China remains the most important buyer of oil from the region, which is leading the Gulf states to make their foreign policy more multipolar and rely less on the USA.

Military support and diplomatic tensions

During his visit, Trump received applause for saying he wanted to use military force to defend Saudi Arabia. However, there were no concrete commitments regarding support for the Saudi nuclear program or security guarantees. The president called on the Gulf states to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, but was met with rejection. Arab states urged Trump to pressure Israel to end the conflict in Gaza; He didn't pursue this any further either.

A key outcome of the visit was the decision to lift US sanctions against Syria. This happened at the request of the Saudi crown prince and the Turkish president. The Gulf states have also declared their intention to invest in the reconstruction of Syria. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are planning major investments in the civil war-torn country.

Humanitarian aid for Syria

In the context of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the Gulf states recall their pledges of $900 million to help Syrian civil war victims. This commitment came during an international donor conference in Kuwait, where Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait contributed the majority of the $1.5 billion needed. The Kuwaiti emir announced $300 million for humanitarian causes, while the EU and US had previously pledged $400 million.

King Abdullah II of Jordan expressed concerns about the economic burden on his own country, which has welcomed hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. An estimated 350,000 of the approximately 700,000 Syrian refugees currently live in Jordan. About 3,000 people cross the border into Jordan every day and the number of refugees could rise to a million, posing further humanitarian challenges. As violence continues in Syria - the UN confirms over 60,000 deaths since the uprising began in 2011 - the need for support and humanitarian assistance is urgent.

The United Nations ombudsmen and organizations such as Doctors Without Borders are warning about the catastrophic situation in Syria, which is characterized by food shortages, medical inadequacy and violence. Ban Ki Moon, the UN secretary-general, has repeatedly called for the bloodshed to stop immediately.

Donald Trump's trip shows not only the US's geopolitical ambitions in the region, but also the urgency of the humanitarian situation, which continues to require international attention.

tagesschau.de reports about the results of Trump's visit, while world.de highlights the humanitarian commitments of the Gulf states.