Trump Seeking $1.3 Trillion Investment Bonanza on Gulf Visit

But raging war in Gaza set to deny him goal of normalizing Saudi ties with Israel

- 

WASHINGTON/DUBAI — When US President Donald Trump lands in Riyadh on May 13, he will be greeted with opulent ceremonies, gilded palaces and the prospect of US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion) in investments. But the raging war in Gaza has denied him one goal he has long craved: The normalization of Saudi-Israeli ties.

Behind the scenes, US officials are quietly pressing Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza — one of Riyadh's preconditions for any re-start of normalization talks, said two Gulf sources close to official circles and a US official.

Mr Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has told an audience at the Israeli Embassy in Washington that he imminently expected progress on expanding the Abraham Accords, a set of deals brokered by Mr Trump in his first term under which Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, recognized Israel.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to a permanent stop to the war or to the creation of a Palestinian state makes progress on similar talks with Riyadh unlikely, two of the sources said.

Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel as legitimate, meaning the Middle East's two most advanced economies and military powers do not have formal diplomatic ties. Supporters of normalizing relations say it would bring stability and prosperity to the region, while countering Iran's influence.

Establishing ties has become especially toxic for Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, since the start of Israel's war in Gaza.