U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off his Gulf tour with a high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, securing a major strategic economic agreement and pledging deep investment ties between the two nations.
U.S. President Donald Trump began his Gulf tour on Tuesday with a ceremonial welcome in Saudi Arabia, where he signed a wide-ranging strategic economic agreement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The deal, announced during the Riyadh Summit, covers energy, defence, mining, and other key sectors, and is intended to deepen bilateral cooperation as the kingdom pursues economic diversification under Vision 2030.
Saudi state media said the agreement was accompanied by a separate Strategic Economic Partnership Document. The White House confirmed that the kingdom had pledged to invest $600 billion in the United States, including what officials described as the largest-ever defence sales package between the two allies—worth nearly $142 billion.
"I really believe we like each other a lot," Trump remarked during talks with Prince Mohammed, whom he called a friend. The two leaders also participated in the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, where the crown prince hosted a lunch attended by high-level U.S. business figures such as Elon Musk, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
Trump joked that the $600 billion pledge could grow to $1 trillion, echoing comments he made during his 2017 trip to Riyadh, and noted the investment would generate jobs in the United States.
Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih opened the forum by highlighting the shift from oil dependency to innovation, particularly in frontier technologies. NEOM’s Deputy CEO Rayan Fayez said most of the $1 billion in tech-focused Saudi investment has gone to U.S. firms.
Despite its scale, the event notably did not include a stop in Israel, prompting speculation about changing regional priorities. Israeli officials have expressed concern, especially as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure from Washington to accept a ceasefire and consider a two-state solution amid the ongoing Gaza war.
Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said efforts to expand the Abraham Accords were ongoing, though sources say progress with Saudi Arabia is unlikely under the current Israeli stance. Trump is also expected to offer Riyadh an arms package exceeding $100 billion, further cementing defence ties with the kingdom.
Separately, U.S. and Iranian officials met in Oman to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme, with Trump maintaining the possibility of military action if talks fail. Israeli operations against Hamas and Hezbollah, and the targeted killings of their leaders, have increased pressure on Iran, giving Trump added diplomatic leverage.
On December 4, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, during the 32nd O...
A pall of mourning hangs over Hong Kong ahead of this weekend’s legislative elections, with the city struggling to process the scale of a tragedy th...
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a significant challenge on Friday as parliament votes on a pensions bill that has sparked a revolt within his o...
Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe'...
The International Robot Exhibition (IREX) opened in Tokyo on 3 December, bringing together visitors to explore robotics applications for industry, hea...
U.S. President Donald Trump brought together the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in Washington on Thursday to sign a peace deal, despite ongoing fighting in the region.
A new architect has been appointed to oversea the highly anticipated White House ballroom project, a White House spokesmen confirmed on Thursday. The decision comes after reports of a disagreement between the President and previous architect, James McCrery, over the size and scope of the building.
Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has said distanced the Afghan government from recent incidents involving Afghan nationals on U.S. soil.
Foreign professionals seeking employment in the United States now face an ideological litmus test regarding their past work in online safety and content moderation, marking a significant escalation in the Trump administration's battle against what it terms the "censorship" of conservative voices.
For nearly three decades following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the international system was defined by a singular, overwhelming reality: American unipolarity.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a new gene-editing therapy that they say could lead to a functional cure for HIV, making it one of the most promising developments in decades of global research.
Faced with mounting public outrage following one of the deadliest environmental disasters in the nation’s recent history, the Indonesian government has pledged to investigate and potentially shut down mining operations found to have contributed to the catastrophic flooding on Sumatra.
Israel was cleared on Thursday to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, a decision made by the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which sparked a major controversy.
Britain’s King Charles III welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday, marking the beginning of his three-day state visit to the United Kingdom. The visit, the first by a German President to the UK in 27 years, comes as the two countries continue to strengthen ties post-Brexit.
On December 4, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, during the 32nd OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Vienna.
A pall of mourning hangs over Hong Kong ahead of this weekend’s legislative elections, with the city struggling to process the scale of a tragedy that has claimed over 150 lives.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a significant challenge on Friday as parliament votes on a pensions bill that has sparked a revolt within his own conservative party.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.
A record-breaking flotilla of Chinese warships and coast guard vessels has surged into strategic waterways across East Asia this week, triggering high-level alarms in Taipei and Tokyo.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment