In a repeat of his 2017 visit to Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump is once again headed to the Middle East for the first official foreign trip of his second term. The decision to travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates underscores the priority the president places on strengthening strategic, security, and economic ties with regional partners. What deals will Trump be able to seal during his trip to the Gulf?
This on-the-record briefing featured Daniel Benaim, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs and Associate Fellow at the Middle East Institute and Ibrahim Al-Assil, Senior Fellow at MEI and a Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University.
Our experts examined the potential for Trump to strengthen US ties with a region that has undergone significant geopolitical shifts since his last term in office and explored the administration's renewed focus on the Middle East. They assessed prospects for reshaping the US-Gulf relationship for the 21st century, navigating regional realignments, and expanding the Abraham Accords, among other major issues.