Trump Kicks Off Mideast Trip Built Around Deals
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What are the key highlights of Trump's Middle East trip?
I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today. President Trump landed in Saudi Arabia this morning, kicking off a Middle East visit featuring stops in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as he tries to drum up investments in the U.S. That may not be hard. Trump is expected to get a warm embrace from Gulf states eager to gain influence with his administration. But moving the needle on a host of other geopolitical priorities in the region may prove more challenging. and risks upsetting relations with Israel, a country notably not on this week's itinerary. Well, to preview President Trump's travels, I'm joined from Riyadh by Journal foreign correspondent Stephen Kalin, and from Tel Aviv by our Deputy Middle East Bureau Chief Shandi Reis. Stephen, starting with you, what should we be expecting to see over the next couple of days?
What investments are expected from Gulf states?
I think we're going to see a warm embrace. They're going to roll out the red carpet or in the case of Saudi, a lavender carpet that we saw him walk down Air Force One in Riyadh earlier this morning. And he's going to be surrounded by some of the top U.S. business people and financiers who will be joining him at private conferences and lunches at palaces. And the whole point of that is to win his confidence and his commitment to the region. And it's going to be an exchange for what will probably be hundreds of billions, potentially trillions of dollars in investment commitments over the coming years.
What geopolitical challenges does Trump face in the region?
And as you report with our colleague Elliot Brown, there's reason to think those investments are coming, not least because these Gulf states, you know, have been doing sort of family business with Trump, Inc. of late.
Yeah, so there's both a commercial element to the Trump foreign policy in terms of him wanting to secure investments into the U.S. and in U.S. companies from foreign countries. That's a major part of this trip, which has been historically, that's not really that far out of the norm. The fact that it overshadows any larger, maybe strategic vision for the region is perhaps a bit uncommon from previous president's trips to the region. But on top of that, there have been a number of investments involving the Trump Organization in all three of these countries. That involves developing golf resorts and hotels in these countries, investing in a new crypto company. And of course, all three of these countries have previously made commitments to Jared Kushner's private equity fund, and some of them re-upped that in the recent past as well.
And Stephen, aside from that business, there are some other geopolitical priorities on this trip. Washington has been shifting its policies in a number of areas lately. Tell us a bit about that and how that's gone over.
That's right. The president has been trying to make geopolitical deals in a number of parts of the region. Of course, been trying to get the remaining hostages held in Gaza out and end that war. There was a small success yesterday when the last living American hostage held there was released. He's also been pushing for nuclear talks with Iran to try to reestablish that deal.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What are the key highlights of Trump's Middle East trip?
0:58–1:55
2
What investments are expected from Gulf states?
1:55–2:29
3
What geopolitical challenges does Trump face in the region?
2:29–5:33
4
How is Israel reacting to U.S. policy changes?
5:33–7:16
5
What are the implications of tariffs on Israel?
7:16–8:15
6
How does Trump's administration balance pro-Israel sentiment?
8:15–14:24
Speakers
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