President Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia this morning, and he will remain in the Middle East until Friday. What can we expect to see from this trip?

From The Epoch Times. President Donald Trump will visit the Middle East from May 13 to 16, with scheduled stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The trip marks his first major foreign trip of his second term, following a recent visit to the Vatican for Pope Francis’s funeral two weeks ago.

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Trump is expected to announce a series of major investment deals aimed at attracting Gulf money into key U.S. sectors such as defense, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). His meetings will also focus on pressing regional issues, including the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group and ongoing nuclear talks with Iran.

Trump’s first destination is Riyadh, where Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to welcome him with a lavish ceremony …

As in his first term, Trump chose to go to the Middle East first, but unlike eight years ago, Israel is not on the agenda this time.

Here’s what Trump is expected to focus on during his tour in the Gulf.

‘America First’ Investments

Trump has made it clear that his visits abroad will prioritize countries that commit substantial investment in the United States.

Saudi Arabia recently pledged to invest $600 billion over the next four years. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates committed to a $1.4 trillion investment framework in the United States over the next decade, targeting AI and semiconductor infrastructure, the energy sector, and manufacturing.

The president’s first major foreign trip “symbolizes the value he places on the Gulf allies,” according to Joel Rubin, a Middle East expert and former State Department official under President Barack Obama. …

During the trip, Trump will focus on advancing his economic agenda by pursuing major investment commitments from Gulf nations, Rubin said.

The president is also expected to focus on major arms deals, including a potential arms package for Saudi Arabia worth over $100 billion, as well as significant weapons sales to Qatar. …

The president is also expected to attend the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum on May 13, which will bring together top American and Saudi business leaders to explore new investment opportunities. …

Saudi–Israeli Normalization

While the primary goal of Trump is to announce major investments and arms deals, he is also expected to address key regional security issues during the trip. Chief among them is the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, as well as the broader question of Saudi–Israeli normalization.

A major focus will be pushing Saudi Arabia to formally join the Abraham Accords, an agreement that established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab neighbors in late 2020. …

However, the Saudi crown prince has publicly stated that normalization with Israel is contingent on concrete progress toward establishing a Palestinian state—a condition that Israel’s current government firmly rejects.

As a result, expectations for a breakthrough on this front remain low. …

Iran Nuclear Talks

Another pressing security issue Trump is expected to raise with Arab leaders during his Gulf visit is the status of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

Gulf nations are growing increasingly concerned about tensions between Iran and Israel, fearing that a broader regional conflict could jeopardize their economic stability. …

The United States held a fourth round of talks with Iran in Oman on Sunday.

Trump earlier said that the United States has not yet decided whether Iran could enrich uranium domestically under the new deal being negotiated.

“We have not made that decision yet,” Trump told reporters on May 9. “We will.” …

Oil Prices

Trump is laser-focused on bringing down gas prices at home to curb inflation and is expected to pressure Gulf states to keep oil prices low. Besides inflation, another key motivation behind this push is to weaken Moscow’s oil revenue. …

Rare Earths Deal

Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a major player in the rare earths market and has been making significant progress in the mining sector over the past 15 years.

The Islamic kingdom is currently sitting on an estimated $2.5 trillion of mineral reserves and actively seeking investors to unlock this potential.

During his trip, Trump may deepen ties with Saudi Arabia in critical mineral mining and exploration.

This is a growing strategic priority for the Trump administration, as evidenced by initiatives in the Congo and Ukraine, Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the CSIS, said during the press briefing. …

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(Excerpt from The Epoch Times. Photo Credit: Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)