On Tuesday 13 May, the US President began a three-day official visit to the Persian Gulf monarchies with a dual objective: to ensure political stability in the region and to step up trade. He was first received with great fanfare in Riyadh by Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salmane (MBS), with whom relations are on a high. ‘A great day in Saudi Arabia’, said a delighted Donald Trump, who said he had secured a commitment of $600 billion to invest in the United States in the military, energy and technology sectors.

At the instigation of MBS, the occupant of the White House even met Syria’s strongman Ahmed al-Charaa and announced the lifting of US sanctions.

In Qatar, the second stop on his trip before the United Arab Emirates, Donald Trump announced ‘the largest aircraft order in Boeing’s history… worth more than $200 billion’ and was presented with a Boeing 747-8, valued at $400 million, by the Qatari royal family. This is fuelling controversy in the Democratic camp, which is denouncing ‘the biggest foreign bribe in recent history’…

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