Why Trump is specializing in enterprise offers on his Center East journey : NPR

In this photo, President Trump is waving with one hand while outside the White House. A row of hedges is in the foreground.

President Trump waves after taking questions from reporters exterior the White Home on Could 8.

Jim Watson/AFP

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Jim Watson/AFP

President Trump leaves Monday for the primary main international journey of his second time period, specializing in enterprise offers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as his administration struggles to broker an end to the war in Gaza.

President Trump greets Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House on Tuesday. Trump has proposed that the U.S. take control of Gaza and transfer its population to neighboring countries, possibly Jordan. However, Abdullah said he and other Arab states strongly opposed relocating Palestinians.

Trump pledged to deliver peace to the area as he ran for a second time period, however that’s proving to be elusive. On this journey, he’ll showcase a promise by Saudi Arabia to invest $600 billion in the US over the following 4 years and pledges from the UAE to spend $1.4 trillion over 10 years.

“The Saudis, the Emiratis and Qataris are going to fall throughout themselves over who can outdo themselves to welcome the president,” stated Steven Prepare dinner, a senior fellow for the Center East on the Council on Overseas Relations. “After which they are going to outdo themselves over the variety of offers that they will announce because the president is there.”

In some ways, the journey is a replay of the inaugural foreign trip of Trump’s first time period. The Saudis welcomed Trump with a lavish ceremony and bulletins of billions of {dollars} in investments.

In this May 21, 2017, photo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Saudi King Salman and President Trump place their hands on an illuminated globe as they stand around it.

In 2017, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (from left), Saudi King Salman and President Trump attend a ceremonial launch of the International Middle for Combating Extremist Ideology.

AP/Saudi Press Company

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AP/Saudi Press Company

Prepare dinner stated the Gulf leaders perceive what Trump needs — and have an curiosity in giving it to him — as a result of there are different issues they do not need Trump to ask about.

“It is good for them as a result of when he involves them and says, ‘We wish your assist doing one thing on Gaza,’ they usually’re not inclined to do it, they are going to be insulated from the criticism that will seemingly come if they only did not do something,” Prepare dinner stated.

Again in 2017, Trump sought to shore up relationships within the area after implementing a travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries — and did some enterprise with autocratic leaders looking for international credibility.