President Donald Trump engaged in similar preparations on his recent Mideast tour with a large corporate persuasion delegation and the world’s sole superpower to win. Those trips included major meetings in Saudi Arabia and Qatar on May 14, 2025. The journey underscored President Trump’s ongoing work to promote American investments overseas and deepen partnerships with nations across the Middle East.
At Lusail Palace in Qatar, Trump negotiated the Boeing deal with Ortberg. He had talked to Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani prior to the state dinner. The meeting highlighted to the members in the room just how important these international partnerships are to our aerospace industry. That same day, Trump was on hand, together with Ortberg and the Emir, for a very special signing ceremony. Together, they celebrated an impressive milestone for both Boeing and Qatar Airways.
Beyond the pomp and circumstance was an agenda that would have deeply enriched America’s Middle East adversaries. It featured an outbound trade mission that included a business luncheon in Saudi Arabia with more than 30 of the most influential business moguls from America’s largest corporations. This unprecedented gathering provided a unique opportunity for these executives to meet directly with Saudi investors. So they set out to find the most promising investment opportunities in their region.
Bilateral Relations and Long-Term Investments
At a lunch with the royal family in Riyadh, Trump lavished praise on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He emphasized the kingdom’s deep commitment to pursuing diverse economic opportunities. Everyone’s talking about the White House’s announcement that it had convinced Saudi Arabia to invest a cool $600 billion. Trump highlighted this as evidence of the deepening bilateral relationship.
“It is an incredible vision, indeed, that Saudi Arabia should build the AI infrastructure of your nation so that you could participate and help shape the future of this incredibly transformative technology.” – Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia
The remarkable numbers related to Trump’s inauguration fund made waves, as the fund raised an unprecedented $239 million. This fund commitment further highlights emerging tech giants’ support, as Nvidia was one of the contributors to the fund, donating $1 million.
More importantly, the executive order reflects the reality that industries from agriculture to energy have faced significant regulatory hurdles in recent years. Notably, his policies have alleviated regulatory burdens for companies such as Elon Musk’s ventures while simultaneously creating opportunities for Palantir’s AI tools. These rigid trade policies have produced real hardship for Coca-Cola. Per the direct and immediate impacts from Trump’s aluminum tariffs, the company is now re-evaluating its packaging materials and planning a move from aluminum to plastic bottles.
The overall landscape of corporate America has shifted during Trump’s presidency, as most executives have fostered or deepened relations with foreign markets. Big names such as Alcoa, BlackRock and IBM led US industry’s showing at the Saudi industry-only luncheon. These companies have deep investments and relationships across the entire DMV region. Their participation is a sign of an increasing trend of American firms looking to make their stamp on markets abroad.
Boeing’s Major Win and Strategic Partnerships
Boeing’s announcement of its “largest-ever” aircraft deal with Qatar Airways is another great success born from these diplomatic efforts. As such, this landmark agreement is a major win-win for Boeing and Qatar Airways. It reflects the great potential that exists for bilateral trade relations to grow between the two countries.
America’s companies need certainty, and right now, Trump’s tariff and trade policies are anything but. Yet, at the same time, they provide incredible opportunities to expand your networks and business leaders. Executives are eager to work with U.S. industry at the same time as pushing their interests overseas.
“Watching @POTUS more carefully recently has really changed my perspective on him.” – Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
As Trump navigates the geopolitical landscape, he remains focused on fostering relationships that benefit American industry while promoting investment opportunities in the Middle East. His administration’s initiatives have shown an impressive commitment to strengthening economic ties with our most valued allies.
What The Author Thinks
The push for stronger ties with the Middle East shows a clear commitment to leveraging diplomacy for American business growth. However, concerns about the long-term sustainability of such trade relationships, especially given the volatility of global politics, remain a challenge.
