Trump to Hold Gulf Leader Summit on May 14/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump will host a summit with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders during his visit to Saudi Arabia on May 14. The summit is expected to focus on economic ties, arms deals, and AI collaboration. The trip emphasizes strategic partnerships in the Gulf as U.S.-Iran nuclear talks continue.
Trump to Hold High-Level Gulf Summit in Saudi Arabia – Quick Looks
- Trump to host GCC summit in Riyadh on May 14.
- Leaders from UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain expected.
- Focus areas include economic investment, arms deals, and AI.
- Bilateral meetings set for Doha and Abu Dhabi after summit.
- No visit to Israel planned due to Gaza ceasefire impasse.
- Trip underscores growing U.S. focus on Gulf partnerships.
- Comes amid U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations supported by Gulf states.
Trump to Hold Gulf Leader Summit on May 14
Deep Look
WASHINGTON / RIYADH (Axios) — President Donald Trump will host a summit of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders during his visit to Saudi Arabia in mid-May, U.S. and Arab officials have confirmed. The summit will serve as a key moment for Trump to outline his administration’s evolving vision for the Middle East, particularly around economic cooperation, defense partnerships, and artificial intelligence.
Summit Schedule and Travel Plans
Trump is expected to arrive in Riyadh on May 13 and will hold bilateral meetings with Saudi leadership ahead of the May 14 summit, scheduled for the morning. Leaders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE have all been invited by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
After the summit:
- Trump will travel to Doha to meet Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
- On May 15, he will visit Abu Dhabi for talks with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ).
The White House is expected to release the official itinerary shortly, though the Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment.
Business and Security Take Center Stage
According to U.S. and Gulf officials, the summit and surrounding meetings will focus on bilateral investments, advanced weapon sales, and AI cooperation.
Just before the trip, the State Department approved a $3.5 billion sale of medium-range air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia — a sign of the defense-heavy nature of the discussions.
Unlike previous multilateral summits, this gathering will be limited to GCC members, although an Arab official said additional Arab countries could still be invited depending on circumstances.
AI and Emerging Tech in Focus
In line with Trump’s broader Middle East economic strategy, AI and technology collaboration will be a major part of the summit discussions. This includes:
- Tech partnerships on U.S.-exported advanced chips.
- Gulf lobbying for expanded AI infrastructure access.
- New private-sector projects in energy-tech and cybersecurity.
Trump’s trip will coincide with the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh, where tech leaders from both regions — including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang — are expected to participate.
Why No Visit to Israel?
Despite Trump’s prior efforts to broker peace and normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the ongoing war in Gaza has sidelined that priority.
Both U.S. and Israeli officials say there is no current diplomatic opening, particularly as hostage-release and ceasefire negotiations remain unresolved.
Big Picture: Trump Returns to Familiar Ground
This trip mirrors Trump’s first foreign visit in 2017, when he also chose Saudi Arabia as his first stop and hosted a large summit with leaders of Arab and Muslim-majority countries. This year’s summit, however, is expected to be narrower in scope and more economically focused.
In contrast, President Joe Biden’s 2022 visit to Saudi Arabia included a broader coalition of leaders from Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt, reflecting different regional priorities.
U.S.-Iran Deal in the Background
Trump’s trip also comes as U.S. officials continue negotiations with Iran over a potential nuclear agreement. Gulf countries — especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE — have voiced tentative support for the talks and are encouraging continued engagement from the Trump administration.
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