Trump Expected to Attend Gulf Summit in Saudi Arabia

Former US President Donald Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in mid-May, where he will attend a summit with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh on May 14. The summit, hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will focus on strengthening economic, defense, and technological ties—particularly in areas like investment, arms sales, and artificial intelligence—between the US and the Gulf states. While only GCC leaders are currently expected, there remains a possibility that other Arab leaders could be invited. Trump's itinerary includes bilateral meetings in Saudi Arabia, followed by visits to Doha and Abu Dhabi for discussions with Qatari and Emirati leaders. This trip underscores Trump's renewed engagement with the Middle East and comes shortly after the US approved a potential $3.5 billion missile sale to Saudi Arabia. Notably, there are no plans for Trump to visit Israel during this tour, reportedly due to stalled progress on Gaza-related issues.