Trump caps Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi with dizzying investment pledges

AFP | Abu Dhabi

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US President Donald Trump yesterday capped his Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi after signing another raft of multi-billion-dollar deals, while also securing a $1.4 trillion investment pledge from the UAE.

The eye-watering amounts of money in investments were accompanied also by historic overtures to Syria and renewed optimism over an Iran nuclear deal during the multi-day trip across the Gulf.

On his first foreign tour of his second term, Trump oversaw a $200 billion order from Qatar Airways for Boeing jets and a $600 billion investment from Saudi Arabia -- including nearly $142 billion in weapons, which the White House described as the largest-ever arms deal.

Trump also expressed optimism over reaching a new agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme, and in a seismic diplomatic shift, decided to lift decades-long sanctions on Syria.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed lauded the strong partnership between the two countries that grew under Trump’s leadership when he vowed to invest $1.4 trillion in the US economy over 10 years.

The White House said the two countries had also signed business deals worth more than $200 billion including a $60 billion partnership with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and a $14.5 billion Etihad Airways order of Boeing planes.

It also said both countries inked an AI agreement that will see the UAE invest in US data centres and commit to “further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of US-origin technology”.

“You’re an amazing country. You’re a rich country. You can have your choice, but I know you’ll never leave my side,” Trump said after the $1.4 trillion announcement late Thursday, addressing the UAE president.