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Podcast: Middle East Dossier
Episode: Looking Beyond Trump's 'Trillion-Dollar' Diplomacy in the Gulf
Description: US president Donald Trump most recent visit to three Gulf monarchies — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — saw him leave with bountiful, billion-dollar deals. According to fact sheets released by the White House, the president secured economic agreements amounting to $600 billion with Saudi Arabia, $243.5 billion with Qatar, and $200 billion with the UAE — what were deemed as “historic” levels of investment. While these reported deals illustrate Mr Trump’s strong business focus, the choice of the three Gulf states reflects their global diplomatic standing and connections with the US president.
The mutual adulation on display pointed to h...