President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates produced a dizzying array of mega-business deals. Arriving in Saudi Arabia, Trump announced over $600 billion in Saudi investments in the United States. He claimed to be seeking $1 trillion, which is roughly the entire gross domestic product of the kingdom. Of interest to Texans, Saudi Aramco announced plans to spend $3.4 billion to expand its Motiva refinery in Port Arthur.
During the Saudi phase of his trip, the president found time to meet with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The leader of Syria‘s recent revolution, his curriculum vitae notably includes eight years as emir of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of al-Qaeda. His prior credentials include fighting in the Iraqi insurgency as a member of al-Qaeda and five years in prison after being captured by the Americans, including a few semesters in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.
In true Trump fashion, the president observed that al-Sharaa is a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy, you know? Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
But al-Sharaa has traded in his battle fatigues for tailored suits and, to his credit, is trying to bring Syria into some degree of mainstream Middle Eastern-style governance.
His supporters, however, have launched bloody reprisals against Syria‘s Alawite ethnic population, the base of deposed president Bashar Assad. Al-Sharaa insists he is investigating the matter and putting a stop to the bloodshed.
At the urging of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Trump announced from Riyadh that he is removing stifling financial sanctions on Syria, setting off jubilant celebrations in Damascus. While the relevant legislation provides congressional authority over sanctions, the executive branch can waive enforcement.
A further aspect of Trump‘s Riyadh trip received less media coverage than it deserved. He denounced “so-called nation builders, neocons or liberal nonprofits” that intervened “in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.” After America‘s failed interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump asserted, “the birth of the modern Middle East has been brought by the people of the region themselves.”
This view recognizes the agency of Arab cultures vastly different from our own, a reality that multiple American administrations of both parties have failed to appreciate sufficiently over the last 30 years. Yes, America properly promotes its values alongside its national interests, but we too often see the Middle East through a lens that ignores reality. During my time as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, I cringed at Washington’s fantasies of imposing democracy in the Persian Gulf overnight. We had no rational basis to believe these monarchies would reform themselves out of existence.
After Riyadh, Trump was on to Qatar and the UAE. We learned of a $243.5 billion agreement, with Qatar Airways buying up to 210 Boeing jets over a period of years.
The focus in Abu Dhabi was largely on artificial intelligence, with Trump announcing that the UAE would be allowed to buy “some of the world’s most advanced AI semiconductors from American companies.”
While the UAE has sought to become a global hub for technology, American security concerns have stalled transfer of much technology. Fears that Persian Gulf states could become a back door to Chinese acquisition of sensitive technology continue to be a concern.
In addition to the dramatic development of AI and other sophisticated technological and economic progress, the Persian Gulf monarchies demonstrated a new willingness to consider an agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear program. In contrast to Israel’s reported interest in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Arab leaders seek regional stability and foreign investment. Trump hinted that if Iran refuses to reach an agreement on limiting its nuclear development, he would shut down Iran’s oil exports. Note that he did not threaten to attack the nuclear sites, at least for the moment.
While Trump emphasized his “fervent wish” for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords normalizing relations with Israel, the Saudis are sticking to their insistence that such a deal is off the table until there is a viable path for Palestinian statehood.
While the formality of normalization is desirable, a version of “Abraham Accords light” will have to do for now. There remain numerous business dealings between the Saudis and Israelis. For example, sales of Israeli night vision and surveillance equipment have gone on for years.
This brings us to the striking recognition of the elephant that was not in the room: Israel.
Not only did Trump‘s visit fail to include a stop in Israel, many of his recent actions run counter to stated positions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Prior to his trip, Trump rejected an Israeli proposal to attack Iran’s nuclear sites, and during his trip he continued to seek Arab support for a deal with Iran. Then Trump made a cease-fire deal with the Houthis to suspend attacks in the Red Sea that did not extend to Israel, without informing Netanyahu.
In response, Netanyahu proclaimed “Israel will defend itself by itself.”
Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, then commented in an interview, “the United States isn’t required to get permission from Israel.”
Also without telling Netanyahu, Trump arranged the release of American hostage Edan Alexander.
Netanyahu could not have been pleased at Trump‘s meeting with al-Sharaa and his removal of sanctions on Syria. Israeli forces continue to pound Syrian military positions, reflecting Netanyahu’s insistence that Syria presents a threat to Israel.
The record of Trump‘s week in the Middle East is impressive, with one glaring exception. Trump‘s acceptance of the emir of Qatar’s offer to donate a 747-8 aircraft, first to the Defense Department for use as Air Force One, and then to the Trump Library, is a shocking error in judgment. Apart from legal issues embedded in the Constitution, it just looks awful. The shameful avarice reflected in this decision is unworthy of an American president. Aircraft envy is simply not a good look.
When the afterglow of scoring a shiny toy supposedly worth $400 million fades, the American taxpayers will be on the hook for a renovation bill that could approach a billion dollars. Bringing the aircraft up to U.S. security and operational standards to serve as a flying White House in case of attack comes with an astronomical cost, and will take substantial time to complete. Especially with two new 747s under construction by Boeing, the net result will be an extravagant ersatz prop in the Trump Library, to compete with the majestic look of the Air Force One on display in the Reagan Library. Really?