- 28 May 2025
Looking Beyond Trump’s ‘Trillion-Dollar’ Diplomacy in the Gulf
US president Donald Trump most recent visit to three Gulf monarchies — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — saw him leave with bountiful, billion-dollar deals. According to fact sheets released by the White House, the president secured economic agreements amounting to $600 billion with Saudi Arabia, $243.5 billion with Qatar, and $200 billion with the UAE — what were deemed as “historic” levels of investment. While these reported deals illustrate Mr Trump’s strong business focus, the choice of the three Gulf states reflects their global diplomatic standing and connections with the US president.
The mutual adulation on display pointed to how Washington sees the Gulf states as paving the way in Middle Eastern affairs. From the Gulf-US Summit to the announcement of Syria’s sanction relief, Mr Trump’s programme was also marked by discussion on important regional files. The glaring omission on his itinerary, however, was Israel — sparking speculation of a Trump-Netanyahu rift.
Are we witnessing a golden era in US-Gulf relations? How sustainable are the deals signed? Apart from doing business, will the Trump administration provide greater security guarantees to the Gulf states? Are we expecting more US-Gulf alignment on regional theatres such as Iran, Syria, and Gaza?
The Middle East Institute hosted two experts from the region, Hasan Alhasan and Yousuf Al Bulushi, to address the above issues and more.
This event was held via Zoom from 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM SGT on Wednesday, 28 May 2025.
Watch the full webinar here:
Listen to the podcast here:
Photo caption: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walks with US President Donald Trump (L) upon his arrival in Riyadh on May 13, 2025. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
About the Speakers
Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Policy
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
Hasan Alhasan is the Senior Fellow for Middle East Policy at the IISS. He specialises in the foreign policies and economic statecraft of the Arab Gulf states. His latest project at IISS, entitled Gulf Bailout Diplomacy: Aid as Economic Statecraft in a Turbulent Region, is a groundbreaking study on the politics of Gulf rescue lending in the MENA region. He is the co-editor of India and the Gulf: Theoretical Perspectives and Policy Shifts (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023).
Chairman
Muscat Policy Council
Yousuf Al Bulushi is the Chairman of Muscat Policy Council, Oman’s first independent think tank, dedicated to advancing research, policy studies and dialogue to address global challenges. Dr Al Balushi is actively involved with international think tanks, specialising in regional security and geopolitics. His research examines GCC developments, with a notable emphasis on Oman’s domestic strategies and foreign policy. A distinguished commentator on Oman’s historical and contemporary geopolitical significance, Dr Al Balushi is a leading authority on affairs of the Middle East and beyond.
Research Fellow
Middle East Institute, NUS
[Moderator] Clemens Chay is a research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. His research focuses on the history and politics of the Gulf Arab states, including the geopolitics of the region.
