The Guardian published a report exploring the wider implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent visit to the Middle East, specifically to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
According to the paper, Trump’s tour reshuffled regional power dynamics and redefined U.S.-Gulf relations — but appeared to have no real impact on Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Mutual Interests Over Morality
Trump, who was welcomed with extravagant praise and luxury, appeared perfectly aligned with Gulf rulers and made bold decisions — including lifting sanctions on Syria while disregarding President Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s jihadist background.
The Guardian noted that Trump’s invitation to recognise the Gulf as a rising political and economic bloc, and his endorsement of their vision for Syria regardless of past transgressions, sharply contrasts with prior U.S. administrations, including Biden’s, which initially vowed to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its role in the Yemen war — only to later backtrack.
Trump was candid in his approach with Gulf leaders: “You’re wealthy. We need you. Do as you wish.”
In return, he abandoned even the pretence of upholding international law or traditional U.S. foreign policy norms, in favour of multi-billion-dollar deals and visible quid pro quo arrangements.
For the Gulf powers, Trump’s overt recognition of their mega-projects and strategic influence fulfilled their desire to be seen as central players, finally taken seriously by Washington.
The report argues that the centre of gravity in U.S. foreign policy appears to be shifting — away from Europe and NATO — towards a region that doesn’t trouble Trump with moral lectures on Ukraine, doesn’t care about public opinion, and has billions to invest and flatter with.
The Guardian posed a pointed question: Could British PM Keir Starmer hope to win Trump’s favour with a historic state invitation — and would he be able to match the Gulf in its pageantry?
A Stark Contradiction
The article highlights a glaring contradiction that defined Trump’s Middle East tour — amplified by local media and political rhetoric last week.
As Israel escalated its bombing campaign in Gaza — showing blatant disregard for ceasefire initiatives — the region’s leaders issued louder condemnations of the aggression, yet remained conspicuously silent about Trump, the president of the country supplying Israel with weapons and political backing in its campaign of regional destabilisation.
This contradiction, the report argues, became the defining feature of the visit: a silent question hung over it — is the Gulf’s rising influence merely about cementing economic ties with Washington and pushing through their agendas without accountability, or can it be harnessed to shape U.S. policy, particularly on Palestine?
The threats, The Guardian added, no longer target Palestinians alone. The war has spread to Lebanon and Syria, public pressure is mounting in Jordan and Egypt, and the Palestinian cause is once again galvanising Arab public opinion — even in traditionally stable monarchies.
As Trump promotes his controversial “resettlement plan” to relocate Gaza’s population to Libya, Israel is intensifying its campaign to occupy more territory in the Strip, peace deal momentum has vanished, and the lavish scenes of Trump’s visit stand in stark contrast to the starvation and thirst in Gaza.
The report concluded that while Trump’s trip may seem historic, it risks being ultimately hollow if Gulf states remain unable to determine their own futures, influence regional stability, or prevent the forced starvation and displacement of Palestinians. In that case, all that unfolded would be little more than political theatre — staged for economic gain.
