On his first foreign visit, Trump is eagerly fed with Arabic Petrodollars

With the permanent peace agreements it doesn’t go so smoothly. The taxing deals are not left over for the time being. But Basal transactions of money, real estate, energy, weapons and flattery with a touch of bribery, Donald Trump prefers to act.

The first real foreign visit of his second presidency, the funeral of Pope Franciscus was not counted, goes to his comfort zone: the building land and the bat gold from the Gulf States, where nobody is critical of him aloud and where a lot of money can be earned. On Tuesday Trump lands in Saudi Arabia, and then fly on to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (VAE).

In his first term, Saudi Arabia was also Trumps first destination, but this time the trip is even more loading. Not only by the Israeli destruction of Gaza, the recent American attacks on the Houthis in Yemen and high -stressed negotiations on restricting the Iranian atomic program. The Middle East is also the place where the Trump family has filled its own bags the most since 2017. Immediately after Trump-I, son-in-law Jared Kushner walked here already. Now sons don jr. And Eric pick up billions for real estate, golf and crypto projects where their father also directly benefits from. They don’t be hindered by your own ethical code of conduct About doing business with foreign rulers.

Since Trump won the elections, the development of a new Trump hotel and residence became in Dubaia Trump tower and an unknown real estate project in Riyadh and a golf and villa resort in Qatar announced. At the beginning of this month it was announced that a state-conducting investment fund from Abu Dhabi invests 2 billion dollars (1.8 billion euros) via the digital currency set up the Trump sons with Zach Witkoff, the son of the American Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. News channel ABC reported Saturday that the royal family of Qatar gives a super-luxury private jet worth 400 million as a gift to Trump as new Air Force One.

Investment

The commercial desires of the family are fulfilled faster than the economic interests of the United States for which the president travels this week. The visit itself was already a transaction. « I will pay if you pay 1 trillion (thousand billion) dollars to American companies » within four years, Was Trumps requirement To put Riyadh the first. Most American presidents first visit a neighbor like Canada or Mexico.

The money should benefit weapons manufacturers, artificial intelligence, the aluminum industry and possibly cooperation for nuclear energy. American help with setting up a civil nuclear program has been on the wish list of Saudi Arabia for years. The Biden government only wanted to talk about this as part of a large deal, where Saudi Arabia would normalize the ties with Israel. Trump seems that condition now let go.

The Emirates have promised in the next ten years 1.4 trillion dollars to invest in the US. That is almost three times the gross domestic product of the country. Promises of billions of investments by golf countries also typified Trumps journey in 2017, but what exactly those investments consisted of remained vague. Of the promised $ 110 billion in Saudi weapons purchases that Trump announced at the time, 30 billion has actually been cashed in to date, according to the US Department of Foreign Affairs.

Due to the mega spending of Riyadh-including stamping a Brand new futuristic metropolis of accompanying ski village -Saudi Arabia is currently struggling with a liquidity shortage. As a result, fulfilling the most recent commitment seems even more complicated.

Dry oil pits

For the three Gulf States, Trump’s visit is a chance to show that they count in the world. Saudi Arabia is increasingly taking up under Crown Prince and de facto leader Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) as leader of the region. At the beginning of this year, the Kingdom was allowed to facilitate conversations between the US and Russia about the war in Ukraine. The fact that MBS had the journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi saw in the consulate in Turkey in 2018 is no longer an objection to that.

Just like other Gulf states, the country tries to detach itself from its dependence on oil income, in preparation for a time when the oil wells will be dry. Both Saudi Arabia and the VAE are busy building a defense and technology sector. In 2017 – years before the general public met artificial intelligence via Chatgpt – the Emirates already came up with a national plan To become a world leader in the field of AI in 2031. An obstacle here is a law that came under Biden, which restrains exports of chips. The Gulf States hope to convince Trump for them to create an exceptional position.

The Gulf States will want to avoid open disagreement during Trump’s visit, even about Gaza

Doing business is the main goal of Trump’s journey, but he cannot ignore the great unrest and developments in the region. Trump hopes to expand the so-called Abraham agreements during his reign period. In 2020, among others, the Emirates and Bahrain entered into normal diplomatic and trade relationships with Israel. There have been conversations for a long time to add Saudi Arabia to this, but it is difficult for the country to embrace in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the middle of increased Israeli aggression and created famine.

At the same time, the US negotiates with Iran about a new atomic agreement (according to reports comparable to what Barack Obama concluded earlier, but what Trump blew up in his first term). Syria will also be a conversation topic. The US could reduce the sanctions against Syria now that Dictator Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow. They could also encourage Israel to stop bombing the neighboring country. Syria is important for the stability of the region, but the question is how much diplomatic capital the Gulf States want to spend on this during Trumps visit. They will want to avoid open disagreement, even about Gaza.

Swordy dance

With his first foreign journey, the American president shows that his interests do not run completely synchronously to those of the almost inviolable ally Israel. Despite frantic lobberage – and other than in 2017 – Trump does not visit that country this week.

It is the last in a series of disappointments that Israel recently had to deal with in his relationship with the US. In April it was surprised by the news that the Americans are going to talk to Iran again. Netanyahu had just traveled to Washington to win support for an attack on Iranian nuclear installations. It was previously announced that American diplomats had immediately spoken with Hamas about the hostages in Gaza, again without having informed Israel. On the eve of Trumps visit Hamas announced That it will release the last American hostage agent of 7 October 2023.

The Israelis were also attacked last week when Trump announced a ceasefire with the Houthis. The rebels supported by Iran have promised to stop their attacks on international ship traffic in the Red Sea, but emphasize that they will continue to fire missiles and drones on Israel.

Trump does not put Netanyahu in the way when making Gaza unlivable. But he does not want to visit Israel now that the Israelis further expand their military attacks. For the US president – who promised to end the war in Gaza during his campaign – there seems to be nothing at the moment that he can present as a success on return. The promises of the Gulf States to announce hefty investments in the US are a lot more attractive prospect. Even if Trump can not – like in 2017 – with a broad smile and a saber in hand during A traditional sword dance.

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