Trump to Conclude Middle East Tour in UAE After Major Gulf Deals
DOHA — After securing billions in investment pledges from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, US President Donald Trump is set to wrap up his Middle East tour in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
Originally planned as the final stop, Trump hinted he might extend his trip to Turkey if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to attend peace talks with Ukraine.
Following his visit to Qatar—where Trump celebrated what he called a historic $200 billion Boeing aircraft deal—he will head to Abu Dhabi, UAE’s capital.
The tour began in Saudi Arabia, which committed $600 billion in investments, including one of the largest-ever acquisitions of US military equipment.
These massive financial commitments sparked controversy, especially after Qatar reportedly offered Trump a luxury plane for presidential and personal use, which his Democratic opponents labeled as corruption.
Trump, who opened his first term’s foreign visits in Saudi Arabia, openly pursued Gulf investments, touting their positive impact on American jobs.
During a speech in Riyadh, Trump criticized both Democrats and traditional Republicans, particularly those who supported US military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Praising the modern skylines of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Trump remarked, “These achievements were not the work of so-called ‘nation-builders,’ ‘neocons,’ or ‘liberal nonprofits’ that spent trillions failing in Kabul and Baghdad.”
He added, “The modern Middle East is being shaped by the people of the region themselves. The nation-builders ended up destroying more nations than they helped.”
Trump also praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his ambitious economic initiatives.
Responding to a key request from the Crown Prince, Trump announced a move to lift sanctions on Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December.
In Riyadh, Trump met with former guerrilla leader Ahmed al-Sharaa—once on the US wanted list—who now wears a suit and was warmly acknowledged by Trump as a “young, attractive guy.”
The meeting also included Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the latter joining virtually. Erdogan remains a prominent supporter of Syrian rebels.
Trump also expressed willingness to travel to Turkey for potential talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though Russia has yet to confirm Putin’s attendance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to proceed to Istanbul for these discussions regardless.