Deals And Diplomacy: Here’s Everything Trump Accomplished On His Gulf Tour

President Donald Trump concluded his four-day Gulf tour on Friday after securing more than $2 trillion in investment agreements.

“In total, President Trump secured over $2 TRILLION in investment agreements with these three Middle Eastern nations — paving the way for a more safe and prosperous future,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on X.

After four days of traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, where he was met with lavish ceremonies and generous hospitality, Trump is returning home to the United States, where he will meet his new grandson.

“Now it’s time to go back home,” Trump said in Abu Dhabi. “My daughter had a baby — I’m going to go back home and see that little baby.”

Here’s everything the president did on his Gulf tour.

.@POTUS in Abu Dhabi: "It's been a tremendous time and now it's time to go back home. My daughter had a baby — I'm going to go back home and see that little baby." ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ATwbJQPiRp

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025

Saudi Arabia

Trump kicked off his trip Tuesday, landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with a Saudi F-15 fighter jet escort, where he was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. After being escorted to the Saudi Royal Court with an escort of Arabian horses, Trump announced that Saudi Arabia committed to investing $600 billion in the United States.

The investment will initially focus on deals that strengthen energy security, the defense industry, technology leadership, and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals. Deals include Saudi company DataVolt investing $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure, and Shamekh IV Solutions, LLC set to invest $5.8 billion, including in a Michigan high-capacity IV fluid facility.

Other multinational companies, including Google, Oracle, Salesforce, and Uber, have committed to investing $80 billion in “cutting-edge transformative technologies” in both the United States and Saudi Arabia.

“President Trump is the dealmaker in chief, and he has once again secured a historic deal that strengthens America’s economic dominance and global influence,” the White House said in a statement, adding that the investment will build “economic ties that will endure for generations to come.”

TRUMP CALLS ON SAUDI ARABIA TO JOIN ABRAHAM ACCORDS: ‘MY FERVENT HOPE’

Trump also announced the two countries signed the largest defense sales agreement in history, totaling $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with air force advancement and space capabilities, air and missile defense, maritime and coastal security, border security and land forces modernization, and information and communication systems.

During a speech later that night, Trump urged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords.

President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“It’s been an amazing thing, the Abraham Accords, and it’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia — a place I have such respect for, especially over the last fairly short period of time, what you’ve been able to do — but will soon be joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump said.

During his first term, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, a groundbreaking agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, that ended decades of formal hostilities. Shortly afterward, Sudan and Morocco also joined the agreement.

Trump has long sought to expand the agreement to include Saudi Arabia, but the ongoing war in Israel has complicated those efforts.

Trump also announced he would lift sanctions on Syria, arguing that removing penalties imposed on the former dictatorship would give the new leadership a chance — despite its leader’s terrorist history.

Trump said removing the sanctions would give Syria “a chance at greatness.”

HOW TRUMP LIFTING SYRIA SANCTIONS COULD TRANSFORM THE MIDDLE EAST

The next day, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom he described as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”

The meeting between Trump and Sharaa was the first meeting between an American president and a Syrian leader in 25 years.

Qatar

On Wednesday, Trump arrived in Qatar with a fighter jet escort, becoming the first American president to visit the oil-rich Gulf nation. He was greeted by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and escorted by Qatari police in Tesla Cybertrucks to the Amiri Diwan, where he received an elaborate reception featuring Qataris on horses and camels.

Trump thanked the Qataris for the warm greeting, saying that he appreciated the camels and hadn’t “seen camels like that in a long time.”

“That was some greeting. We appreciate it very much.”

Before arriving in Qatar, Trump faced controversy over reports that he is preparing to accept a $400 million Boeing 747 jumbo jet from the Qatari government, intended as a replacement for the aging 40-year-old Air Force One. The plane is reportedly set to be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation shortly before he leaves office. However, during his visit to Qatar, the jet deal took a backseat as Trump announced more massive economic agreements.

HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS

Qatar signed an agreement with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, alongside President Trump, to purchase 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines, according to the White House. The purchase is the largest 787 order in the American company’s history.

“It’s the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing, that’s pretty good,” Trump said.  “It’s over $200 billion… Congratulations to Boeing. Get those planes out there!”

.@POTUS in Qatar: "We're with you all the way." pic.twitter.com/coZWPkOnau

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 14, 2025

Qatar also signed a letter of intent to purchase $2 billion worth of MQ-9B Reaper drones and $1 billion in counter-drone technology, becoming the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), designed to neutralize small unmanned aircraft.

Letters of intent were also signed between Qatar and the United States to “further strengthen our security partnership,” the White House said in a statement, outlining up to $38 billion in potential defense and security-related investments.

“The United States is in a very strong position militarily,” Trump said, sitting next to Al-Thani. “We have the best equipment anywhere in the world and you’re buying a lot of that equipment actually.”

According to Leavitt, the total agreements with Qatar will generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion.

Trump’s warm reception in Qatar stands in contrast to the president’s June 2017 statements on the country, in which he had accused the nation of backing terrorism.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Trump (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

“The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,” Trump said.

Qatar continues to fund terrorist groups, giving over $2 billion to the Hamas-run government in Gaza, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. For several years, Hamas also hosted the leadership of Hamas, though many left Qatar last year.

Before leaving Qatar, Trump visited American troops at the Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar — the largest American military facility in the Middle East. Delivering a speech to the troops who he called “tip of the spear” in the fight against the “enemies of civilization” Trump spoke about his Middle East goals and promised to give them a raise.

“You are without a doubt the greatest fighting force in the history of the world,” Trump said. “That’s the way it is. I said it last night. I said it’s strong. We have the strongest military in the world. It’s not even a contest. We have the best equipment, nobody has equipment like us, nobody has the planes or the missiles or anything else.”

United Arab Emirates

Trump touched down in the UAE on Thursday with his third fighter jet escort and was greeted by UAE leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, making him the second serving American president to visit the UAE, after former President George W. Bush in 2008.

Trump was welcomed with a ceremony that included dignitaries, music, an honor guard, and Emirati women doing a traditional dance with their hair.

The welcome ceremony in UAE continues! ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/sXqS1IboMN

— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) May 15, 2025

Trump toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with Nahyan before announcing his third series of large economic deals.

The United States and the UAE agreed upon $200 billion in “transformative deals” including Boeing and GE Aerospace securing a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways for 28 Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft and a $4 billion investment by Emirates Global Aluminum to build one of the first new American aluminum smelters in 45 years. Other deals announced relate to the energy, technology, and mineral sectors.

AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER REUNITES WITH PARENTS AFTER 584 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY

“President Trump’s historic visit to the United Arab Emirates is another opportunity to welcome new partnerships in frontier technologies, health and life sciences, mobility, entertainment, and many other fields,” the White House said.

The director-general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Trump in Abu Dhabi. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

All of the deals announced were on top of a March $1.4 trillion commitment from the UAE to invest in the sectors of American energy, manufacturing, and technology over the next decade.

During the visit, Trump also visited the interfaith Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, which includes the St. Francis Church, the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, and the Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque.

Trump had a strong relationship with the UAE in his first term, most evident in the success of the Abraham Accords, which normalized the Gulf country’s relations with Israel and ushered in religious tolerance.

At the Abrahamic Family House, Trump signed its guest book with a message to the Emirati people.

“It’s just a message of unity when you look at what we’ve just seen — great unity, great faith, incredible people with a tremendous leader,” Trump said, holding up the book.