Ever since oil was discovered in the vast Arabian sands, American presidents have primarily structured their Middle East foreign policy around it. America has gone to war to protect its access to oil. It has interfered in the internal affairs of nations to safeguard oil interests. It has stationed troops and maintained military bases across the region for the same purpose. However, this American obsession with the Middle East has often been complicated by political and cultural differences, such as some ruling regimes' support for Islamic fundamentalism and the suppression of human rights.
On his first international visit, President Trump symbolically buried old biases in the same sands from which oil is extracted. Saudi Arabia was the first stop on Trump's recent three-nation tour of the Middle East. He was the first U.S. president to recognize that the three countries—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—had undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade, mainly for the better. When Trump landed in Doha, he became the first American president to visit Qatar.
Consider the United Arab Emirates (UAE), composed of seven small emirates. Its most prominent cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, are striking examples of rapid modernization. Dubai, in particular, exemplifies what's possible when a nation lifts burdensome visa restrictions, liberalizes its labor and capital markets, and invests heavily in infrastructure. Still, the Emiratis, Qataris, and Saudis tightly control access to citizenship.
Despite these constraints, Dubai draws millions from around the globe. Its appeal lies in upward mobility, world-class infrastructure, a no-tax regime, and a vibrant, multicultural lifestyle. The promise of upward mobility is real—one recent social media post exemplifies this: a young woman from Lebanon, fresh out of high school, applied to become a flight attendant with Emirates. She got the job, moved to Dubai, traveled the world, and eventually trained to become a pilot for a Greek airline.
Dubai’s airport and airline industry are case studies in world-class infrastructure. I've flown in and out of Dubai International Airport eight times in the past 10 months. Every flight, both inbound and outbound, was on time, and my checked luggage always arrived without issue. On my most recent trip, the crew represented 17 countries and spoke 18 languages. English and Arabic remain the dominant languages of business. Dubai's airport never sleeps. Every square inch of space is designed with two goals in mind: traveler convenience and shopping. It's a killer combination that makes the airport operate like a Swiss clock. Transferring between concourses is seamless. The passenger elevators are so massive they make U.S. airport elevators look ancient by comparison.
There are no employee unions in the three regions, so there are no work slowdowns or stoppages. Considering the waiting list of eager applicants, pay and labor conditions are good enough not to warrant unions. To be sure, the governments invest state funds in airport infrastructure and plane purchases. In the last five years, Emirates and Qatar Airways have placed orders for over 330 planes, including over 250 aircraft from Boeing (valued at $146 billion). These subsidies have allowed Emirates to serve 148 international destinations directly from its Dubai hub, on par with United Airlines, the American carrier with the most international departures (147). Add Qatar Airways (174) and Etihad Airways (94), and you have a vibrant international airline hub-and-spoke system that compares with the best in the world.
Awash in wealth, the region welcomed Trump and a delegation of American business leaders with a deep understanding of the Middle East. These titans —representing high finance, consulting, technology, healthcare, and real estate—formed the backbone of his delegation. Their pragmatic focus stood in contrast to traditional diplomats, who often prioritized abstract goals like promoting human rights and tolerance.
Now contrast Trump's business-like approach with the ideologically driven Biden administration, whose stance was so off-putting that it allowed China to make diplomatic inroads into the Middle East. Who can forget that in March 2023, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official, Wang Yi, oversaw a handshake between Saudi Arabia and Iran during a Beijing-brokered agreement to restore diplomatic relations between the two nations? [Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, contacted his Saudi and Iranian counterparts to welcome the deal, signaling Qatar's support for the reconciliation]. Or when Biden was greeted on arrival at Riyadh International Airport by a low-level official, the mayor of Mecca, in what was widely seen as a snub to the President of the United States? Or when Saudi Prince MBS rebuffed Biden by lowering Saudi oil output when Biden asked for more oil?
Trump is the first president to recognize that a youth-driven economy, composed of ambitious individuals from around the world, could be the most robust defense against religious extremism. David Sachs, head of the Trump administration's AI strategy team, explained it best: The Middle East already runs on Western tech—so why not offer these countries a real stake in it? Sachs proposed joint ventures in which the region invests in American data centers for AI, with reciprocal investments to build similar infrastructure locally, under U.S. technological and management oversight. With this strategy, Trump's team found a way to finance the next generation of AI leadership at virtually no cost to the U.S., while drawing wealthy regions closer to American influence and away from China, which has struggled under Trump-era tariffs. According to the White House, Trump's visits elicited investment commitments of approximately $3.6435 trillion (Saudi Arabia: $600 billion, Qatar: $1.44 trillion, and the UAE: $1.6 trillion). Even if only half of these promises materialize, a $1.8 trillion commitment is still extraordinarily impressive.
For President Trump, traditional priorities like expanding the Abraham Accords, preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and limiting terror groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis will remain crucial policy goals. However, this strategic shift—treating the Middle East as a partner and funder of next-generation technology—may prove to be one of the most consequential U.S. foreign policy decisions in the past 40 years.
Rajkamal Rao is a columnist and a member of the tippinsights editorial board. He is an American entrepreneur and wrote the WorldView column for the Hindu BusinessLine, India's second-largest financial newspaper, on the economy, politics, immigration, foreign affairs, and sports.
TIPP Picks
Selected articles from tippinsights.com and more
1. Trump’s Tariff Strategy Can Work but America Still Needs Deeper Economic Reform—EJ Antoni, The Daily Signal
2. Bitcoin’s Record Run Opens A New Chapter In U.S. Financial Leadership—Editorial Board, TIPP Insights
3. Everybody Rejoice! Paul Krugman Is Predicting A Recession!—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
4. Medicaid: End It, Don’t Mend It—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
5. PBS, NPR, And The ‘Unfounded’ Charge Of The Bidens Hiding Cancer—Tim Graham, The Daily Signal
6. If You’re A Conservative Woman, You’re Probably A ‘Handmaiden To The Patriarchy,’ According To Hillary Clinton—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal
7. Israeli’s Netanyahu Seeks To Dispel Rumors Of Strained Relations With US—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal
8. Netanyahu Accuses Starmer, Macron, Carney For Being On 'Wrong Side Of History'—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
9. Senators To Introduce Bill Promoting Holistic Fertility Methods—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
10. ‘Victory For Girls And Free Speech:’ Supreme Court Sides With Lawmaker Censured For Defending Women’s Sports—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
11. Here’s What Trump Told House Republicans Behind Closed Doors—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal
12. A Test Fit For America’s Finest Schools—Jonathan Butcher & Lindsey Burke, The Daily Signal
13. Trump Reins In Bureaucrats’ Criminal Code—GianCarlo Canaparo & Campbell Collins, The Daily Signal
14. New SBA Database Aims To Boost Supply Chains To ‘Make Onshoring Great Again’—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
15. The EPA’s 007 Rule: Licensing California To Kill The Gas-Powered Engine—Paul J. Larkin, The Daily Signal
16. Fact-Checking Justice Sotomayor’s Imaginary Birthright Citizenship Cases—Amy Swearer, The Daily Signal
17. House Passes ‘Big, Beautiful’ Budget Bill—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal
18. Inside The Fight To Pass The Laken Riley Act—Bradley Devlin, The Daily Signal
19. ‘WHO Is A Cheap Date,’ Expert Says Of China’s $500 Million Pledge—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal
20. Republican Governor Undercuts Trump’s Anti-DEI Efforts—Victor Joecks, The Daily Signal
21. Thune Clears Way For Vote On Ending California’s EV Mandate—Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal
22. Judge Blocks Trump's Move To Dismantle Education Department—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
23. White House Doubles Down: Crosses Reflect Lives Lost In The Video Shown To Ramaphosa—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
24. Harvard Barred From Taking International Students—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
25. Trump Spoke With Israel's Netanyahu After Embassy Shootings, Confirms White House—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
26. World Leaders Condemn ‘Antisemitic’ Killing Of Israeli Embassy Staff In D.C.—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
27. FBI Investigating Fatal Shooting Of Israeli Embassy Staffers In D.C.—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
TIPP Market Brief – May 23, 2025
Your Morning Snapshot
📊 Market Snapshot
- S&P 500: ▼ 5,842.01 (0.04% )
- 10-Year Yield: ▼ 4.553%, (4 basis points)
- Crude Oil (WTI): ▼ $60.81 (1.23%)
- Bitcoin (BTC): ▼ $111,187.56
- US Dollar Index (USD): ▼ 99.38 (0.52%)
- Gold: ▼ $3,297.44 (0.69%)
Bigger Charts: $SPX | $TNX | $WTIC | $BTCUSD | $USD | $GOLD
📈 Featured Stock
Our pick for today’s featured stock
📰 News & Headlines
Roblox's Latest Partnership With Google Could Be Game-Changing—Lawrence Nga, The Motley Fool
2 Breakout Growth Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Next 10 Years—John Ballard, The Motley Fool
⭐Recent Featured Stocks
Rubrik, Inc. (RBRK) (5/22)
Oddity Tech Ltd. (ODD) (5/21)
Sezzle Inc (SEZL) (5/20)
Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) (5/19)
Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) (5/16)
Deutsche Bank (DB) (5/15)
Howmet Aerospace, Inc.(HWM) (5/14)
Okta, Inc.(OKTA) (5/13)
Root, Inc.(ROOT) (5/12)
Sea Limited (SE) (5/9)
Philip Morris (PM) (5/8)
Comstock Resources (CRK) (5/7)
More here
🧠 Macro Insight
- Futures steady as rising Treasury yields and debt fears keep pressure on markets.
- Trump's tax bill passed the House with one vote and now heads to the Senate for tougher debate.
- BYD (BYD) is topping Tesla (TSLA) in Europe EV sales for the first time, signaling a major market shift.
- Apple (AAPL) discounts iPhones in China amid shrinking market share and tariff headwinds.
- Oil slips as OPEC+ weighs July supply boost and U.S.-Iran talks resume in Rome.
📅 Key Events Today
- 10:00 AM ET – New Home Sales (April)
Measures sales of newly built homes, offering insight into builder confidence and housing demand.
