Trump announces colossal Saudi investments

Received with all due respect in Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump pocketed, according to the White House, colossal promises of Saudi investments and purchases, particularly in defense and artificial intelligence.

The Republican president, accompanied by several major business leaders, including his ally Elon Musk, had promised to cash "big checks" during his trip, in keeping with his transactional diplomatic approach. On Tuesday, he signed a "strategic economic partnership" with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The US executive branch estimated the amount going to the United States at $600 billion, which is in line with the figure put forward by the de facto ruler of the Saudi kingdom in January. In particular, Saudi Arabia is to purchase $142 billion worth of "cutting-edge" military equipment, according to a US statement, which would make it, according to the same source, "the largest (defense contract) in history."

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian company DataVolt will invest "$20 billion in data centers and energy infrastructure linked to artificial intelligence" in the United States, according to the White House. The White House also mentioned technology contracts totaling $80 billion, involving Google, software publishers Oracle and Salesforce, and semiconductor giant AMD.

Mohammed bin Salman gave the 78-year-old Republican billionaire, who is prone to protocol, a tailor-made welcome, complete with a fighter jet escort, a mounted guard, and the splendor of the royal palace. The obvious cordiality between the two men, who were seen chatting animatedly and with plenty of smiles, marked this first day of the trip. "I really think we like each other a lot," Donald Trump insisted.

Aside from a return trip to Rome for Pope Francis's funeral, this is the first major foreign trip since the start of his second term. Eight years earlier, Donald Trump had already chosen the Saudi kingdom for his first international trip. The decision to once again prioritize the Gulf's wealthy oil and gas monarchies over its Western allies reflects their growing geopolitical role and immense economic potential.

For the countries visited, the challenge is also to secure the support of an impulsive president, who advocates a military and strategic disengagement of the United States, outside the immediate geographical vicinity of the world's leading power.

Donald Trump is also scheduled to travel to Qatar on Wednesday, a stop that already has the air of a political brawl. The opposition in the United States accuses him of having accepted "the largest foreign bribe in recent history," in the words of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

The Qatari royal family presented Donald Trump with a Boeing 747-8 to replace his official jet, at least temporarily, for use after his term. The US president responded that the plane was a "temporary gift."