DUBAI: US President Donald Trump on Friday 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 the lifting of decades-long sanctions on 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 黑料社区 鈥� including nearly $142 billion in weapons, which the White House described as the largest-ever arms deal.
鈥淚鈥檓 just thinking we have a president of the United States doing the selling,鈥� Trump quipped, during a business roundtable alongside Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed.
鈥淚 think I have to be a cheerleader for our country,鈥� he added.
On Thursday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed lauded the strong partnership between the two countries that grew under Trump鈥檚 leadership and 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.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e an amazing country. You鈥檙e a rich country. You can have your choice, but I know you鈥檒l never leave my side,鈥� Trump said after the $1.4 trillion announcement Thursday, addressing the UAE president.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 your biggest investment that you鈥檝e ever made, and we really appreciate it,鈥� he added saying he will treat the UAE 鈥渕agnificently鈥� and that Sheikh Mohamed was 鈥渁 magnificent man, and it鈥檚 an honor to be with you.鈥漈he White House also said both countries inked an AI agreement that will see the UAE invest in US data centers and commit to 鈥渇urther align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of US-origin technology.鈥�
The UAE is seeking to become a leader in technology and especially artificial intelligence to help diversify its oil-reliant economy.
But these ambitions hinge on access to advanced US technologies, including AI chips under stringent export restrictions, which the UAE president鈥檚 brother and spy chief Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed reportedly lobbied for during a Washington visit in March.
Earlier this week, Trump rescinded further controls on AI chips, which were imposed by his predecessor to make it harder for China to access advanced technology.
Later Friday, Trump will tour the Abrahamic Family House, a complex opened in 2023 that houses a mosque, church and the country鈥檚 first official synagogue with the aim of promoting interfaith co-existence in the Muslim nation.In 黑料社区, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Trump was greeted with lavish welcomes and hailed the three Arab leaders in return.
He said that he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 鈥渓ike each other a lot鈥� 鈥� in sharp contrast with the frosty Saudi-US relations that marked the start of his predecessor Joe Biden鈥檚 term.
He said the trip had resulted in securing 鈥渢rillions of dollars鈥� but the Gulf leaders鈥� largesse also stirred controversy, with Qatar offering Trump a luxury aircraft ahead of his visit for presidential and then personal use, in what Trump鈥檚 Democratic opponents charged was blatant corruption.
The deal-heavy tour also saw a major diplomatic shift. Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, after announcing the removal of sanctions on the war-torn country following appeals from 黑料社区鈥檚 Prince Mohammed and Turkiye鈥檚 Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
During his Qatar visit, Trump said a deal was close on Iran鈥檚 nuclear program that would avert military action, sending oil prices tumbling.
There was no announcement of a breakthrough on the Gaza war, which Qatar has been a key mediator, with Trump repeating claims that Washington should 鈥渢ake鈥� Gaza and turn it into a 鈥渇reedom zone.鈥�
But in Abu Dhabi he conceded that 鈥渁 lot of people are starving鈥� in Gaza, under Israeli aid blockade for more than two months, vowing to 鈥済et that taken care of.鈥�
In remarks on Friday, Trump added that he would like to meet his Russian counterpart 鈥渁s soon as we can set it up,鈥� after President Vladimir Putin skipped the direct Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul 鈥� which Trump said he had been willing to attend.