The United States is reportedly considering fast-tracking billions in Middle Eastern investments before President Donald Trump’s visit to the region next week, raising questions about conflicts of interest.
Five of the world’s 10 most active sovereign wealth funds originate from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The UAE alone accounts for three of those funds. In March, UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed met with Trump and pledged $1.4 trillion in investments over the next decade.
The investment plan includes projects in artificial intelligence, energy, and aluminium manufacturing—such as building the first aluminium smelter in the U.S. in 35 years. A $1.2 billion mining initiative with Abu Dhabi’s ADQ and U.S.-based Orion Resource Partners will target critical minerals across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The largest share of the proposed investments will go into artificial intelligence. Abu Dhabi’s MGX fund has committed $100 billion toward data centers and energy infrastructure to support AI development in the United States.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, pledged $600 billion in U.S. investments within a week of Trump taking office in January. Trump later announced that he had encouraged Riyadh to raise the figure to $1 trillion. His close relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, developed during his first term, continues to play a significant role in these investment plans.
Qatar has also maintained a robust investment presence in the U.S., having pledged $35 billion in 2015 and a further $45 billion in 2019 through its Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). Notable investments include $200 million in alternative protein brand EatJust and a 10 percent stake in New York’s Empire State Building.
Conflict of interest concerns
Despite assurances of no direct involvement by the Trump Organization in these deals, ethics watchdogs have raised alarm bells over potential conflicts of interest tied to the president’s upcoming meetings.
The Trump Organization has business interests in all three countries involved. In December, one month after Trump’s election victory, the company announced licensing deals for two new real estate projects in Saudi Arabia. On April 30, it unveiled plans for a luxury golf resort in Qatar.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) issued a statement on Thursday warning, “This trip, where Trump will meet with foreign officials who have the ability to make decisions affecting his company and business partners, poses enormous conflicts of interest for Trump, whose company is engaged in significantly more foreign business than during his first term.”
Unlike during his previous presidency, the Trump Organization has said it will not avoid foreign real estate ventures during Trump’s current term.
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More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Iran says no U.S. meeting is planned in Islamabad, despite Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in the Pakistani capital. He is also set to visit Muscat and Moscow for regional consultations.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Two men were killed after the United States carried out a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday (24 April), the military said.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
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