Saudi Arabia, Qatar UAE go all out

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – If the Gulf countries now hold popular contests, President Donald Trump will become the prom king.

During a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the 45th and 47th Presidents of the United States were greeted with spectacular fanfares of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman broke royal protocols by personally greeting the president at the tarmac. The convoy of cards from Qatar’s Doha airport was sandwiched between bright red Tesla Cybertoroke and riders on horseback. In Abu Dhabi, the leader of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, presented his American counterpart on the order of the Zayed Award, the highest citizen honor in America.

As if that wasn’t enough, the royal camel parade welcomed Trump outside Qatar’s presidential office, Amiridiwan. Speaking to Qatar chief Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Trump revealed he was impressed.

“As a construction guy, this is perfect marble,” Trump said, gestured at the walls and pillars of the palace. “This is what they call perfect. We appreciate those camels,” he added. “I’ve never seen a camel like that in a long time, and really, we’re very grateful for it.”

The US leader’s optics for visiting the Middle East have shown strong, showing off greater than life-like luxury in the region’s richest Petrostate.

The numbers are historical. Qatar and the US have agreed to a $1.2 trillion “economic exchange.” Saudi Arabia has pledged to invest $600 billion in the US, and after Abu Dhabi in March, major projects with the United Arab Emirates have been signed Committed to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework In the US

Questions remain as to whether these numbers are realistic, especially during periods of low crude oil prices and low revenues in crude producers. And some of the deals will likely take decades, including the $142 billion arms deal record order for Qatar’s 210 Boeing Jets and Saudi Arabia’s $142 billion arms deal (the biggest arms deal ever).

But the message was clear. Gulf countries hope to line up first when it comes to partnering with the US, whether it’s for business, military or technology.

“The Gulf has always been getting better with the Business First President, and President Trump is fit for that molding,” Tarik Solomon, former chairman of Saudi Arabia’s US Chamber of Commerce, told CNBC.

“He still represents fast money, great defense and access to American technology. So, if being comfortable with him helps to secure a seat at the next World Order table, the Gulf is bringing gold-plated chairs.”

Some observers have suggested that the three Gulf countries compete with each other for Trump’s affection. But many in the region say it’s more of a longer term, strategic integrity.

“I do not view the big economic announcement as a competition between the three countries. Rather, it reflects competition from other regions (Europeans), due to its close ties with the US administration,” said Ahmed Rashad, assistant professor of economics based in Abu Dhabi at the Economic Research Forum.

“Economic transactions appear to be essential to enhance the appeal of visiting the Middle East. Meanwhile, the main motivations of the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] Countries appear to be strengthening their ties with the US and ensuring access to advanced technology,” Rashad said.

The bromance vibe, especially in Saudi Arabia, was authentic. There, Trump and Mohammed bin Salman praised each other for comments made at the US and Saudi investment summit. The event, held at the gorgeous Ritz-Carlton and Riyadh, was attended by scores from top American CEOs, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Nuvidia’s Jensen Fan and BlackRock’s Larry Fink.

Meanwhile, in the United Arab Emirates, Trump and Emirati leader Mohamed bin Zayed praised their personal friendship and their alliance for over 50 years. The visit was the first of the United Arab Emirates’ visits to Sheikh Dam since George W. Bush visited Sheikh Dam in 2008.

Warm body language and free-flowing mutual tributes meant a harsh difference in tone from visits to the country by staff from the Biden administration.

It appears that the UAE is already getting paid for shifts in approach. I’ve said a recent report The US has a preliminary agreement with the UAE, allowing 500,000 Nvidia H100 chips to be imported annually for the first time. This is the most sophisticated chip produced by American companies. This accelerates the Shakedam’s desert capabilities for the build data centers needed to power AI models.

“Trump’s trip to the Bay reflects an increase in geopolitics personalization,” said Taufiq Rahim, 2040 advisory principal and author of “Trump 2.5: A Primer.”

“Local leaders responded accordingly and performed a gorgeous display for the visiting president. Fluffy and tributes will be important to the announcement and entity of the deal.”

Long-term questions focus on the viability of the investment, Rahim noted.

“For example, how many data centers are you going to need? To be “maximum,” the spending by countries may actually generate excess supply that outweighs demand in certain sectors,” he said.

According to Solomon of the American Chamber of Commerce, the Moon filming pledge remains a good strategy. Whether each dollar will arrive over the next few years is a question that can be addressed later.

“It’s true, a lot of that is theatre,” he said. “But in this region, signaling ambitions are half the game. Even if you’re only stuck with 50%, it’s still an impactful play.”

Revised: This article has been updated to reflect Tarik Solomon as the former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia.