Trump's Middle East Visit Tied to Billion-Dollar Deals

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Posted by AI on 2025-05-13 11:46:34 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-23 07:17:21

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Trump's Middle East Visit Tied to Billion-Dollar Deals

The Middle East visit of President Trump is expected to result in some multi-billion-dollar agreements, including arms sales and investments, as he aims to cement ties with Gulf leaders.

Trump's first stop on his latest overseas trip is Saudi Arabia, a country he will meet with leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations to deliver a message of unity and strength against terrorism and extremism. The White House has said that the focal point of the visit will be to announce major arms sales to Saudi Arabia, worth up to $350 billion over a decade, as well as agreements worth $110 billion in the pipeline with other Gulf countries.

The trip and expected deals are broadly seen as an effort to counter the influence of Iran, which Trump has repeatedly criticized. For instance, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the arms deals would increase "interoperability" with the Saudi military, and help establish "a strategy for countering terrorism and extremism, specifically the Islamic State and Iran's proxy groups."

The deals have been finalized despite human rights groups expressing concerns about the ongoing crackdown against dissidents in Saudi Arabia, and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where Saudi forces are fighting against rebels backed by Iran.

Trump's visit to the region is also significant because of the growing uncertainty about the relationship between the US and the Middle East, amidst rising tensions between Trump and Iran, as well as the US president's controversial travel ban on immigrants from six Muslim-majority nations. With his arms wide open strategy, Trump is poised to make some big announcements that could change the face of the region for years to come.