President Donald Trump is set to arrive in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, marking the concluding stop of his Middle East tour this week. This visit is notable as it is the first by a U.S. president to the UAE in nearly three decades, following President George W. Bush’s visit in 2008.
Trump, who has already finalized significant business agreements in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is anticipated to unveil further deals with the UAE, a key trading partner of the U.S. in the region. However, with recent trillion-dollar deals already in place, the extent of additional commitments from the Emiratis remains to be seen.
In March, the UAE committed to a $1.4 trillion investment into the U.S. economy over the next ten years. This investment will focus on advancing AI infrastructure, semiconductor development, energy projects, and American manufacturing. Notably, there is also a plan to significantly boost U.S. aluminum production by investing in a new smelter, marking the first such development in 35 years.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
But all three nations also hold significant value to Washington, as they have become key players in some of the toughest geopolitical issues facing the U.S. and its allies.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been integral in facilitating U.S. negotiations when it comes to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and hostage negotiations in the Gaza Strip.
While neither of these issues appeared to be top points of discussion in Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia or Qatar, he may hit on geopolitical ties more heavily when it comes to the UAE, particularly given that Abu Dhabi is one of the few Middle Eastern nations that holds normalized diplomatic ties with Israel.
The UAE has ardently opposed Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, has called for a two-state solution, and has rejected Trump’s “riviera plans,” instead favoring an Egypt-reconstruction alternative.
President Donald Trump, center, attends a photo session with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Kuwait’s Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi during the GCC Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
But Abu Dhabi has also maintained relations with the U.S.’ biggest adversaries, including China, Russia and Iran, which could be a topic of conversation during Trump’s one-day visit.
“As everywhere on this trip, the headlines will likely be dominated by the dollar signs and deal-making,” Hannah said. “But I’m personally most interested in the geopolitical angle of trying to reset the U.S.-Emirati strategic partnership, especially in the context of America’s great power competition with China and to a lesser extent Russia, and regionally with Iran.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, appears with UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Feb. 19. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool)
Hannah explained that Trump’s visit to the UAE exemplifies a recommitment by the U.S. economically and militarily to support Abu Dhabi’s “stability, security, and success in a dangerous neighborhood” and could “pay real dividends going forward.”
“The UAE’s top leadership has come to believe that putting most of its eggs into the American basket was an increasingly risky bet as one president after another decided that the Middle East was a lost cause — nothing but ‘blood and sand’ as President Trump famously said in his first term — and the country needed to pivot its focus toward Asia,” he continued. “With a country as influential and resource-rich as the UAE, correcting that unhelpful perception and putting the strategic relationship back on a much more positive dynamic is an important goal.”
