President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, with a dual mission: to enhance his reputation as a dealmaker and peacemaker while addressing critical international issues, including the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine. This trip, primarily focused on economic ambitions, will take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
The visit underscores Trump's commitment to investment and economic collaboration in the Gulf region. It features a state visit to Saudi Arabia, a summit with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and a U.S.-Saudi business summit that will include executives from major U.S. corporations. A White House official has emphasized that a secure and stable Middle East is vital for the prosperity of both American partners and the United States itself.
Before departing from Washington, attention has turned to a proposed gift from Qatar: a luxurious plane valued at approximately $400 million. This "flying palace" has raised eyebrows regarding government ethics regulations and potential security implications. Critics have noted concerns about whether accepting such a gift could violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which prohibits the acceptance of foreign gifts without congressional approval. The White House has assured that it intends to comply with all ethics and transparency rules surrounding the gift.
During this trip, Trump is also expected to highlight the Trump Organization's expanding business interests in the Middle East. Recently, a deal was finalized for a Trump-branded golf course near Doha, Qatar, in partnership with a Saudi firm. This development has drawn criticism regarding the potential for profiting from the presidency.
In Qatar, Trump plans to deliver a speech and engage with American troops stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base. Accompanying him are Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, along with senior White House personnel. Discussions will also cover the Qatari royal family's gift of the luxury plane.
Before leaving Washington, Trump announced the return of Edan Alexander, an American hostage held by Hamas, expressing hope for the release of additional hostages during his Middle East trip. This visit presents significant diplomatic opportunities for Trump to tackle crucial regional issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and relations with Iran. Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that the current geopolitical climate presents unique opportunities for Trump that were not available during his first term.
However, the ongoing war in Gaza poses a challenge to Trump's aspirations to expand the Abraham Accords, which he has heralded as a hallmark of his foreign policy success. Despite efforts by President Joe Biden to build on this legacy by negotiating a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, progress has stalled amid the conflict, making a Saudi-Israeli agreement increasingly unlikely.
Notably, Trump’s current itinerary does not include a visit to Israel, marking a shift from his previous term when he made Saudi Arabia a focal point of his regional diplomacy. A former senior administration official indicated that Trump aims to be perceived as a global peacemaker, even as he grapples with the complexities of the war in Ukraine, where his calls for peace have yet to materialize into actionable results.
As Trump contemplates a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he remains open to traveling to Turkey if it would facilitate peace. “I was thinking about actually flying over there,” Trump stated, reinforcing his commitment to international diplomacy.
