During his recent trip to the Middle East, President Donald Trump announced a series of significant investment agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, totaling over $2 trillion. These agreements encompass a wide range of projects, particularly in the fields of defense, aviation, and artificial intelligence. Trump's visit was marked by the participation of numerous prominent business executives who were instrumental in facilitating these lucrative deals.
On Thursday, Trump indicated that Iran "has sort of agreed to the terms" for a potential deal with the U.S. aimed at reducing its nuclear weapons production. Speaking in the United Arab Emirates, he expressed optimism about nearing an agreement, stating, "I think we’re getting close to maybe doing a deal." In a related development, Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, informed NBC News that Iran would be prepared to sign a nuclear deal if the U.S. agreed to lift all economic sanctions imposed on the country.
The U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum attracted numerous billionaires, including Elon Musk of Tesla, Sam Altman from OpenAI, Alex Karp of Palantir, Larry Fink of BlackRock, and Steve Schwarzman of Blackstone. Notably, Schwarzman and Musk were seen dining with Trump and the Emir of Qatar, underscoring the high-profile nature of the event.
Interestingly, neither President Trump nor the Qatari officials mentioned the much-discussed 747 luxury jet that Qatar is reportedly planning to gift to the Trump administration during this visit. This omission has raised eyebrows, given the jet's significance in the context of U.S.-Qatar relations.
Trump's trip to the Middle East appears to emphasize economic investments over broader geopolitical strategies. The region is not only a focal point for current investment deals but also home to various projects associated with Trump's family businesses. These include a Trump golf resort in Qatar and residential towers in Dubai and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, an investment fund supported by the United Arab Emirates, MGX, utilized $2 billion in stablecoin from the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial to invest in Binance earlier this year.
For those interested in the ramifications of these agreements, reports indicate that stocks from major companies such as Boeing, Tesla, and Nvidia have surged amid the ongoing U.S.-Saudi deal-making spree. Additionally, Qatar Airways has announced plans to purchase 210 jets from Boeing, a significant development as Trump awaits Qatar's anticipated gift of the luxury 747.
