Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia: Let's invest billions!

Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia: Let's invest billions!

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia, marking the start of his tour of the Gulf region. On Tuesday, Trump was received at Riyadh airport by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Accompanied by Saudi fighter jets, the president reached the kingdom, where he received a lavish welcome from the Saudi royal family. Saudi Arabia is the first stop, followed by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with the focus of these visits being on strengthening economic ties, according to the White House.

Trump will take part in a summit of the Gulf states and also attend an investor forum, where Elon Musk is also expected to be present. During his trip, Trump plans to use a gifted luxury jet from Qatar as Air Force One. The White House sees no conflict of interest in this, as the jet is declared a “donation” to the Pentagon.

Economic relations and investments

Trump's main goal during the visit is to encourage Saudi Arabia to invest in the US. Talks are expected to aim to generate hundreds of billions of dollars in investment in the US, which could also create numerous jobs. The president praises Crown Prince Salman as “great and wonderful” and calls for an increase in the $600 billion in investment in the USA that has already been promised. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has assets of about $925 billion and invests in various sectors.

A possible arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth over $100 billion is also being discussed, with Riyadh having a particularly strong interest in advanced weapons systems. Future agreements could cover areas such as aviation, defense, energy and artificial intelligence. Saudi Arabia is seeking security and stability to implement Crown Prince Salman's economic plans.

Geopolitical dimensions

The geopolitical realities in the Middle East are reflected in Saudi Arabia's diplomatic efforts to move closer to Iran to protect its security interests. This comes against the backdrop of their close ties with China in the oil and trade sectors. Saudi Arabia also has reservations about Trump's plans to normalize relations with Israel, particularly given the precarious situation in Gaza, and has called for irreversible steps towards a Palestinian state.

Trump is using the opportunity of the visit to also talk about the Middle East conflict, in which Qatar is acting as a mediator. Before his departure, Trump also announced the release of the US-Israeli dual national Edan Alexander from the hands of Hamas. The trip is Trump's first real foreign trip of his second term and follows his first visit to Saudi Arabia in 2017, leading Trump's spokeswoman to describe the trip as a "historic return" to the Gulf region.

An interplay between economics, military and diplomacy is therefore at the center of Trump's agenda during his tour of the Gulf states.

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