WASHINGTON — President Trump will be focused on obtaining investments for the US when he travels to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates during his Middle East trip next week, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told The Post.
“The relationships are very established,” Wiles said about Trump’s longstanding ties with the respective world leaders.
“It’s almost entirely about business deals and investment in the United States by all three countries,” she added during the April 29 interview. “It’s across the board investments, and they’re very substantial.”
Along with investments, the president may also bring up other foreign policy topics like the Houthis in Yemen, which shares a border with Saudi Arabia — and ending the Israel-Hamas war, a top Trump priority.
MAGA in the Middle East
Saudi Arabia was Trump’s first foreign stop as president back in May of 2017 and was intended to be his first stop again, before he attended Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican.
The first time around, Trump secured a deal for Saudi Arabia to purchase $350 billion worth of arms from the US over 10 years on top of $110 billion that went into effect immediately. This year’s defense spending pledge by the Saudis already is nearly double the figure.
This time, oil talks will also be a part of Trump’s broader conversations with Saudi leaders, Wiles said.
“President Trump will return to emphasize his continued vision for a proud, prosperous and successful Middle East, where the United States and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationships, and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at her regular briefing Friday.
“This trip ultimately highlights how we stand on the brink of the golden age for both America and the Middle East — united by a shared vision of stability, opportunity and mutual respect.”
Trump has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) as the two shared the president’s first foreign leader phone call in his second term. The leaders discussed their visions for bringing stability to the Middle East, regional security and ending terrorism, as well as economic projects, in that January phone call.
The Saudi leader also vowed on the call to find $600 billion to invest into the US — prompting Trump to say he would visit the country first if they coughed up the money.
The oil and natural-gas rich Gulf states have some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, in addition to substantial personal holdings by leading royals and businessmen — making them a prime cohort to woo for billions in investments.
Business titans are flocking to a US investment summit on May 13 in Riyadh, The Post reported.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Meta head Mark Zuckerberg, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and White House AI czar David Sacks are among those expected for the event in Riyadh.
“This high-level Forum will spotlight our most trusted US investment partners — such as your esteemed company — who have already played a meaningful role in the Kingdom’s transformation journey,” an invite to the conference read. “The event will provide an exclusive opportunity to deepen engagement, unlock new investment avenues, and reaffirm our long-standing economic partnership.”
The next day, MBS is set to host a Gulf state leaders summit where Trump will have an opportunity to share America’s economic cooperation proposals with top officials, Axios first reported.
The May 14 meeting is being organized by MBS, who is planning to send invites to the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar — all Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The president then heads to Qatar — where he will visit a US military base — and the United Arab Emirates for separate legs of the trip
Leading up to this term’s first multi-destination foreign trip, Trump has teased big news about the Middle East, promising a “very very big announcement” before he sets off — without revealing the contents.
He said Wednesday there may be news about a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza in the next “24 hours” and is considering renaming the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf before he embarks on the trip Monday.
Trump’s personal ties
Trump’s visit follows a series of high-profile business engagements between regional players and his family’s business empire.
Late last year, the Trump Organization announced plans to build two Trump Towers in Saudi Arabia — one in Riyadh and the other in the country’s second city Jeddah along the Red Sea.
Since then, plans have been announced for an 80-story Trump hotel and residential skyscraper in Dubai — about an hour from Emirati capital Abu Dhabi — and to construct a luxurious Trump golf club in Qatar.
In addition to those multibillion-dollar construction projects, last months plans were announced for a UAE-based fund to invest $2 billion into a Trump family cryptocurrency initiative.
“I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” Leavitt said Friday when asked about the family investments.
The press secretary said she was not aware of any plans to meet with figures involved in his family’s ventures.
“He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once, but twice. This is a president who has actually lost money for being president of the United States,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt scolded reporters for not asking “these questions being asked of my predecessor about a career politician who is clearly dropping off of his office” — referring to former President Joe Biden’s role in his brother James Biden and son Hunter Biden’s foreign consulting ventures.
Congressional Republicans who launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden’s conduct argued that unlike the Democrat’s family business, Trump’s ventures provide quantifiable products, such as brick-and-mortar establishments that provide services to paying guests.
“That is not what President Trump does, and this White House holds ourselves to the highest ethical standards,” Leavitt said.