Trump’s Visit to Three Gulf Countries: Lessons and Insights
It seems that U.S. President Donald Trump has broken the diplomatic norms traditionally followed, where succeeding presidents would prioritize visits to their conventional allies and Western capitals during their foreign tours after taking office. In Trump’s case, his first foreign visit was to Saudi Arabia, and it is not surprising that this Middle Eastern tour, covering three Gulf countries, has garnered significant attention from global media and international newspapers. As former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Michael Ratney, noted in an article for the New York Times, there is a growing perception among many, both in the United States and Saudi Arabia, that Trump is a straightforward businessman focused on interests and costs, rather than values, and not one to lecture about human rights or progressive principles, but rather seeks partnerships and investments.
The same writer pointed out that this stance contrasts sharply with that of former President Joe Biden, who had pledged during his campaign to ostracize Saudi Arabia. However, with Trump’s arrival, the writer suggests that Saudi Vision 2030, championed by Mohammed bin Salman and diligently pursued, has found its way toward realization, gaining substantial traction within the mindset of every Saudi citizen.
Let us dissect the equation behind Trump’s visit to the three Gulf countries—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE—considered his first foreign trip, excluding his attendance at the papal memorial. Trump’s visit to these Gulf states carries profound geostrategic dimensions and serves as a lesson in the political science of international relations based on economic interests. It embodies the adage that in politics, there are no permanent friendships or enmities.
Dr. Omar El-Sherqaoui, a political analyst, engaged with the event and outlined its key objectives, summarizing them into seven lessons on his Facebook page:
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The first lesson is the dominance of blatant pragmatism; there are no permanent friendships or enmities, only lasting interests. (The evidence is Trump’s reception of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had previously been classified by the U.S. as a terrorist.)
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The second lesson prioritizes security and economic interests over narratives of human rights and democracy. There is a significant difference between Trump’s interest-based management and Biden or Obama’s democratic administration, which criticized Gulf monarchies on human rights issues and held them responsible for the spread of extremism and terrorism.
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The third lesson is that Trump’s visit reflects an American understanding that Gulf countries are not merely serving the interests of the United States, and their leaders are not just individuals sitting atop gas and oil wells. They are partners to be counted on, especially in aiding the U.S. in security, energy, investment, and combating extremism.
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The fourth lesson asserts that there can be no peace or stability without substantial investment deals; wealth precedes revolution, and deals resolve conflicts, as stability comes at a cost.
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The fifth lesson is that the U.S. relies on monarchies to implement a new map for the Middle East, while presidential regimes in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, and Somalia are mired in instability and fragility.
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The sixth lesson conveys that the U.S. administration believes that the solution to the Middle East problem will not be a lone relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv but will also involve partnerships with Riyadh, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and other Arab nations.
- Finally, the seventh lesson is that national interests are not achieved through passionate sentiments or theatrical populism but through realistic assessments and costly trades. Nevertheless, a nation’s interests and stability cannot be measured against any price.
