PNN – Reuters reported today, citing informed sources that the US president, desperate to revive talks to normalize relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, is seeking to attract astronomical investment from Riyadh in his country during his trip to the southern Persian Gulf countries.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Two sources close to official circles in the southern Gulf countries and an American official claimed that American officials are quietly and behind the scenes pressuring the Zionist regime to meet one of Riyadh’s conditions for resuming talks on normalizing relations and agree to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
However, the sources said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to a permanent cessation of hostilities or the creation of a Palestinian state makes progress in negotiations with Riyadh unlikely.
Six other sources, including two Saudi and two American officials, told Reuters that the issue, which was the focus of bilateral talks between Washington and Riyadh during Trump’s first term, has in practice been separated from economic and other security issues between the two countries.
According to Reuters, Trump’s goal now is to secure $1 trillion in Saudi investment in American companies, building on an initial $600 billion commitment from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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In relations between Saudi Arabia and Washington, Israel remains out of the equation.
The US president, frustrated by the impact of the long-running Gaza crisis on efforts to normalize relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, is now seeking to use his trip to the region to unveil a US initiative to end the 18-month war, two sources in the Gulf told Reuters.
According to the sources, the plan could include a transitional government and new security arrangements for Gaza after the war, potentially transforming regional diplomacy and opening the door to future talks on normalizing relations with Israel.
On the other hand, the stalled Saudi-US defense pact, initially envisioned as a formal treaty, was revived late in the Biden presidency with a reduced form of security guarantees to circumvent congressional opposition. The Trump administration has now begun those negotiations, along with discussions on a civilian nuclear deal, three sources said.
According to diplomats, the United States, through Trump’s visit to the region, is making a calculated effort to restore its influence in the Middle East and change economic orientations in the region in competition with China, which is constantly increasing its footprint in the heart of oil-rich countries.
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies plan to ask Trump to ease regulations that increasingly discourage foreign investment, especially in sectors considered “critical national infrastructure” in the United States, five industry sources told Reuters.
According to industry sources, Saudi ministers will advocate for improving the business environment when meeting with American officials, especially at a time when China is keen on Gulf capital.