The US President focused on the Gulf Coast and visited the region on his first foreign policy trip of his second term.
President Donald Trump met with Bahrain’s crown prince at the White House as part of a US effort to address regional issues, including accepting Qatar’s Prime Minister for a private dinner in Qatar and ensuring a ceasefire for Gaza and promoting diplomatic relations with the Gulf region.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jasim al Thani, Qatar Prime Minister and member of the country’s ruling family, had a private dinner with Trump on Wednesday evening. Before this meal, Trump met Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa in his oval office.
They rarely share the most pressing conflict in the region, including Israel’s war with Gaza.
Trump is drawing attention to the Bay, a wealthy area where members of his family have extensive business relationships. In mid-May he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on his first foreign policy trip of his second term.
While in Qatar in mid-May, Trump praised the palace and stopped at Aludade Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East.
The base was attacked by Iran after the US bombed the country’s nuclear facilities just hours before the US-Iran conflict declared a ceasefire. One ballistic missile affected, while the other was intercepted.
The visit culminated in transactions worth at least $1.2 trillion, including Qatar Airways’ major deal to buy 210 aircraft from Boeing. Other agreements included purchasing drones and anti-drone technology from US defense companies such as Raytheon, as well as investments in the US energy sector.
Trump says he’s tired of waiting for Boeing to finish off his new plane and wants to use the gorgeous Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as Air Force 1. However, the arrangement has sparked concerns about security and ethics that it will accept gifts from foreign governments.
“The Gulf represents everything Trump believes is right about the Middle East,” said Aaron David Miller, an advisor on issues of the Middle East, on Democrats and Republican administrations.
“It’s rich, stable and it’s home to authoritarians who feel very comfortable with the president,” Miller said.
During a previous meeting with Al Khalifa, Trump said: “They helped us with anything they needed, and they helped us with anything we needed.”
Bahrain is a longtime ally hosting the US 5th Fleet, operating in the Middle East.
Like other Arab leaders, Al Khalifa wants to highlight the favorable potential of diplomatic relations with the US, including investments worth $17 billion.
“And this is true,” he said. “It’s real money. These are not fake transactions.”
According to the White House, the agreement includes the purchase of US aircraft, jet engines and computer servers. More investments can be made in aluminum production and artificial intelligence.
King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain, the father of the Crown Prince, is scheduled to visit Washington by the end of the year. A key part of the relationship will be the agreement signed on Wednesday to promote cooperation on private nuclear energy.
