Trump jets into Saudi, UAE and Qatar with trillion-dollar investment ambitions

President Trump is traveling to Saudi Arabia, the first stop on his four-day Middle East visit and the first international trip of his second term. (Image credit: Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump will arrive in Saudi Arabia today to kick off a four-day swing through the Gulf region.

With a who’s who of powerful American business leaders in tow, including Tesla CEO and Trump advisor Elon Musk, Trump will first visit Riyadh – where the Saudi-US Investment Forum is taking place – and continue to Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Trump has also said he may travel on Thursday to Turkey for potential face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump’s second foreign trip since taking office again – his first was to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral – comes during a moment of geopolitical tension. In addition to pressing for a settlement to the war in Ukraine, the Trump administration is pushing for a new aid mechanism for Gaza and urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a new ceasefire deal there.

Over the weekend, US and Iranian negotiators met in Oman to discuss a potential deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.

But – potential Turkey side trip aside – those matters are not the focus of Trump’s Middle East swing as it is currently scheduled.

The US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are expected to announce potentially trillions in investments. Saudi Arabia already committed in January to $600bn in investments in the US over the next four years, but Trump has said he will ask for a full trillion.

In addition to Musk, business leaders including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser will make the trip.

Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel with the president.

During the Riyadh stop, Trump is expected to offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth well over $100bn, sources told Reuters, which could include a range of advanced weapons including C-130 transport aircraft.

Trump’s second and third stops – in Qatar and the UAE, respectively – are similarly expected to focus on economic issues.