EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump’s May 2025 Gulf Tour: A Strategic Realignment Through Economic Diplomacy

In May 2025, President Donald Trump embarked on a high-profile, four-day tour of the Gulf region, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The visit—his first major foreign trip since leaving office—was characterized by bold economic announcements, realignment of regional diplomacy, and a recalibration of US relationships in the Middle East.

Strategic Partnerships and Mega Deals

Trump’s Gulf tour was anchored in economic diplomacy. In Saudi Arabia, he was warmly welcomed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and together they announced a “strategic economic partnership.” A $142 billion arms deal, part of a broader $600 billion investment package, headlined the agreements, which also included cooperation on energy, artificial intelligence, and civilian nuclear technology. These announcements were seen as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its economy beyond oil and deepen ties with US commercial and security sectors.

Dr. Kristin Diwan, a Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, wrote in a statement to Wyoming Star:

“President Trump and Saudi Arabia have many positives to build upon. Both leaders, President Trump and de facto ruler Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, appreciate a forthright and transactional approach to relations. Saudi Arabia already invests a lot in the United States and is eager to forge more commercial partnerships as it seeks to diversify from oil and enter into new tech and entertainment sectors. Agreements on Saudi civilian nuclear production and new initiatives in Artificial Intelligence, based on the Trump Administration’s greater leniency in exporting both technologies, are set to benefit both countries. Future meetings may expand further partnerships in sports and entertainment, where Saudi Arabia has forged partnerships with Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Trump Organization Golf through its LIV Golf League, and where both countries will be hosting upcoming FIFA World Cup soccer tournaments.”

In Qatar, Trump secured what was described as the largest aircraft order in Boeing’s history: a deal for up to 210 planes by Qatar Airways. Overall, $243.5 billion in deals were announced, including significant defense contracts with Raytheon and General Atomics.

In the UAE, the focus shifted toward the future economy. Trump received the country’s highest civil honor—the Order of Zayed—and helped broker an agreement with Emirati tech firm G42 to build the world’s largest AI data center outside the US, located in Abu Dhabi.

While the White House claimed the trip resulted in over $2 trillion in deals, independent analysis put the figure closer to $730 billion, with many agreements falling under non-binding memorandums of understanding. Nonetheless, the scale and symbolism of the deals generated significant media attention and bolstered perceptions of Trump as a skilled dealmaker.

Geopolitical Maneuvering: Syria and Regional Realignment

One of the most surprising outcomes of Trump’s tour was his diplomatic overture to Syria. Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and announced that the US would lift sanctions on Damascus. This marked a significant shift in American policy and was celebrated by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both of which view Syrian reconstruction as a key strategic and economic opportunity.

“Saudi priorities for de-escalation in the region match well with the Trump Administration’s efforts to end wars and seek peace agreements. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman achieved a major victory in persuading President Trump to end US sanctions on Syria, allowing Saudi Arabia, other Middle East nations, and like-minded governments in Europe to begin investing toward achieving stabilization. It remains yet to be seen if Saudi preferences for ending Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and finding a US agreement to avoid an American or Israeli attack on Iran will prevail in the face of potential Israeli objections,” Dr. Diwan said.

The potential expansion of the Abraham Accords and efforts to reduce tensions with Iran were also on the agenda, with Gulf states advocating for diplomacy over confrontation. Observers noted that Trump’s leader-to-leader style meshed well with Gulf rulers’ preferences for direct, transactional negotiations rather than multilateral frameworks.

This move alarmed Israel. With no stop in Jerusalem and escalating conflict in Gaza, Trump’s apparent pivot toward Arab states and a post-war Syrian normalization rattled Israeli officials. As Dr. Lindsay Benstead, professor of Politics and Global Studies in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government and Director of the Middle East Studies Center (MESC) at Portland State University, pointed out:

“Trump’s visit to Qatar and the gift of the plane would also provoke concerns in Israel, given that the state of Qatar funds and provides diplomatic support for HAMAS.”

Nevertheless, experts argued that Trump’s broader strategy was not to abandon Israel but to recalibrate US priorities in favor of a regionally driven stability agenda.

Dr. David Mednicoff, Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies Chair and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst wrote:

“Israel will undoubtedly remain a major priority for the United States. Yet less American deference to the ultra-right-wing Netanyahu government’s preferred policies may advance the prospects of longer-term prosperity in the region by sowing the seeds for greater stability in Lebanon and Syria, decreasing Iran’s incentives to foster militant movements in those and other Arab countries, encumbering the unpopular Netanyahu’s efforts to hold onto power, and raising the (admittedly slim) chances for a longer-term resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

Public Reaction and Strategic Implications

Reactions to the trip were divided. Supporters hailed the visit as a masterclass in realpolitik and economic statesmanship. Critics, however, raised concerns about human rights, the sidelining of democratic norms, and the potential marginalization of Israel.

Trump’s exclusion of Israel from his itinerary—amid ongoing conflict in Gaza and a hostage crisis—sparked speculation about a shift in US priorities.

“Some commentators felt that Trump’s visit to the Arab countries indicated that Trump might go so far as to betray Israel. Yet these concerns are likely unwarranted. The trip had the goal of developing economic ties in the Gulf and promoting the possible expansion of the Abraham Accords as part of a broader foreign policy of promoting peace through prosperity,” Dr. Binsead said in a statement to Wyoming Star.

Still, the visit was seen as a diplomatic win for the Gulf states. It reaffirmed their strategic importance to Washington and provided momentum for regional transformation through economic interdependence and infrastructure development.

A New Middle East Doctrine?

As Prof. Mednicoff observed:

“President Trump’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates is a major success for those Arab Gulf countries. Although all three oil-rich countries have enjoyed long-term strong relations and security arrangements with the United States, this trip enhanced these relations in two respects.

First, President Trump’s leader-to-leader approach to world politics aligns him strongly with Arab Gulf leaders, who, like Trump, are far more committed to splashy business projects than to democratic politics. This alignment will intensify diplomatic ties, military relations, and economic investments between Gulf countries and the US.

Second, for the moment at least, the President seems closer to Saudi Arabia’s ambitious and youthful ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, than to Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. With Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE moving to harmonize their policies more in the Middle East, stronger coordination between these countries and the Trump Administration may shift Washington’s priorities in the region towards Saudi hopes for help for Syria’s new post-dictator government, relief for war-torn Palestinians, and a cease-fire in Gaza.”

The visit, while controversial, reaffirmed the strategic value of the Gulf to US foreign policy—highlighting its role not only as a security partner but also as a driver of economic transformation.

Looking ahead, the tour may signal a more business-oriented American policy in the Middle East, with economic interdependence replacing traditional diplomacy as the main vehicle for influence. The Gulf’s strategic bet on Trumpism is paying dividends, and the US is prepared to invest in a Middle East future shaped less by ideology and more by infrastructure, innovation, and influence.

With input from Reutres, Time, Al Jazeera, CNBC, Arab Center Washington DC, and the White House.