2025 visit by Donald Trump to the Middle East

On May 13, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump, began a four-day visit to the Middle East.

 Background 
In April 2025, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump's upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE in May, which would not include Israel. During this time, Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Edan Alexander, a hostage released in a U.S.-Hamas deal. Axios later reported a Gulf Cooperation Council summit would occur during the visit. Additionally, newswires were barred from traveling on Air Force One, prompting a formal objection from the White House Correspondents' Association.

 Negotiations 
Before the visit, the Trump administration sought to finalize agreements on minerals and semiconductors. Trump also proposed renaming the Persian Gulf to "Arabian Gulf" in the Geographic Names Information System, which increased tensions with Iran.

 Visit 

 Saudi Arabia (May 13–14) 
On May 12, Trump briefly stopped at RAF Mildenhall to refuel before heading to Riyadh, where he was interviewed by Sean Hannity during the flight. The following day, he met with Mohammed bin Salman and urged Saudi Arabia to increase its investment in the U.S. from $600 billion to $1 trillion. They signed a "strategic economic partnership" agreement, which includes a $142 billion letter of intent to enhance defense capabilities, a memorandum with the U.S. Department of Justice on energy resources, collaborations on health issues, partnerships between the Saudi Space Agency and NASA, and an agreement for a dedicated exhibit at the National Zoological Park.

 Qatar (May 14) 
Before traveling to Doha, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking their first encounter since the 2000 meeting in Geneva between Bill Clinton and Hafez al-Assad. He attended a Gulf Cooperation Council summit with leaders from Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, as well as representatives from Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Mohammed bin Salman urged for an end to the Gaza war in accordance with the goals of the Arab Peace Initiative during his opening remarks.

 References 

Category:Donald Trump