Suche
Mein Konto
Trump in Saudi Arabia: billion-dollar deals and the Gaza Strip as a source of conflict
US President Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia on May 13, 2025 to sign important economic and arms agreements and discuss regional conflicts.
Trump in Saudi Arabia: billion-dollar deals and the Gaza Strip as a source of conflict
US President Donald Trump began his trip to the Middle East today without visiting Israel. The focus of his tour is Saudi Arabia, where he will sign several high-level economic and security agreements. The trip is part of a broader strategy aimed at generating trillions of dollars in investments for the U.S. economy, particularly through the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. Saudi Arabia has reportedly made it clear that normalization of relations with Israel is only possible if the Israeli offensive in Gaza is ended and steps are taken to create a Palestinian state.
Trump will be joined by prominent CEOs, including Elon Musk, to strengthen economic cooperation. Among other things, an arms agreement worth $142 billion is signed, which is considered the largest arms agreement in history. This includes state-of-the-art war equipment as well as various economic contracts and investments in the USA. Saudi Arabia plans to invest an additional $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States, further cementing the strategic economic partnership between the countries.
Agreements and talks in Riyadh
As part of his stay in Saudi Arabia, Trump signed a number of agreements with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including:
- Wirtschaftsvertrag
- Zusammenarbeit im Energiebereich
- Modernisierung der saudischen Streitkräfte
- Zusammenarbeit in Justizfragen
- Unterstützung der Zollbehörden
- Kooperation zwischen dem Smithsonian Museum und saudischen Einrichtungen
The talks will be accompanied by lunch with around 250 government representatives and business people. Participants include prominent personalities such as Stephen Schwarzman, Larry Fink, Sam Altman and Andy Jassy, as well as representatives from well-known tech companies such as IBM, Nvidia and Alphabet.
The background to these far-reaching cooperations is the geopolitical strategy that positions Saudi Arabia as an important Arab regional power. The nation has already tried to mediate in the conflict between India and Pakistan and has also taken action in the Ukraine war. At the same time, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains critical, with almost half a million people at risk of acute hunger. It is unclear how Trump and the United States will respond to Hamas' demands for a permanent ceasefire and the return of aid to Gaza.
Military and strategic importance
Saudi Arabia's military and strategic importance to the United States is underpinned by Trump's efforts to keep the region stable, particularly with regard to Iran's nuclear program. The US President is also planning talks with the royal family and a state banquet. Trump negotiators have also begun direct negotiations with Iran over its nuclear potential and reached a standstill agreement with the Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to reports, Washington established a direct communication channel with Hamas through Qatar, which led to the release of a US hostage.
Overall, it is clear that Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia not only pursues economic goals, but also security policy goals. Given the piquant situation in the Gaza Strip and the various demands of conflict parties, it remains to be seen how the US will respond to the developments. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has announced that he will move forward with full force in the Gaza Strip, further complicating the already tense situation.