US President Donald Trump recently completed a lavish tour of Gulf Arab states, resulting in significant deals for energy-rich nations Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The visit aimed to revamp ties between the US and these countries, shifting from transactional oil-for-security agreements to stronger partnerships based on bilateral investments and shared visions.
While both parties achieved some success, they fell short of others. Saudi Arabia secured a major defense partnership valued at nearly $142 billion, but lacked a formalized security deal with the US. The kingdom also committed to investing $600 billion in US businesses, including a significant AI initiative.
Qatar received major investments from Trump’s visit, including a $96 billion agreement for Boeing planes and a promise of security assurances from the US president. However, some critics have raised concerns about Qatar buying influence in the Trump administration through gifts.
The UAE secured victories in AI and technology investments, including a partnership to build a massive data center complex with 5-gigawatts of capacity. This deal is seen as crucial for the UAE’s ambitions to become a global leader in AI by 2031.
A preliminary agreement between the US and Abu Dhabi may soon ease restrictions on importing cutting-edge AI chips to the UAE, which has been seeking greater access to advanced technology from the US. Overall, Trump’s Gulf tour was seen as a win for both parties, with significant deals and a boost in confidence in their relationship.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/16/middleeast/what-gulf-arab-states-got-out-of-trumps-visit-intl