President Trump side-lined Israel during his four day West Asia visit

All focus was on procuring investment and restoring U.S. domination

- BY ASAD MIRZA

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on the first leg of his West Asian tour, last week.

He also visited Qatar and the UAE during the tour, ignoring Israel. During the visit he also met with Syria’s President, a former Al Qaeda leader, Al Shara. Overall, the visit was not just foreign policy and bilateral relations but an exercise to boost the financial fortunes of the Trump family.

Believe it or not, Trump has pulled another of his maverick tricks, which his opponents are describing it as naked corruption, in full public glare. This time it relates to his west Asian tour, during which he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE all extraordinarily wealthy nations, making them ideal partners for Trump.

Each sought to outshine the others in currying favour with him. Saudi Arabia pledged a staggering $1 trillion in US investments, having already signed deals worth $600 billion with Trump. Not to be outdone, Qatar gifted Trump a $400 million jet a controversial move that, despite widespread criticism, appears set to be accepted.

All three countries possess vast reserves of oil and gas. More importantly, they are actively working to harness these resources to achieve long-term economic diversification. They are steering away from war, which they see, as Trump does, as a poison to economic development.

Their foreign policies are based on tactical and strategic interests, rather than ideological underpinnings. For them, it matters little whether those interests are aligned with the United States, China, or Russia. They have also become active players in global and regional crisis mediation also, particularly Qatar.