Trump touts ambiguous 'deals' as Middle East trip wraps up

The president's whirlwind regional tour concludes with glitz, bravado and an unclear list of concrete accomplishments

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MAY 16: U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan participate in a US-UAE Business Council roundtable meeting at Qasr al-Watan, presidential palace of the United Arab Emirates, on May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Trump is on the fourth and final day of his visit to the Gulf to underscore the strategic partnership between the United States and regional allies including the UAE, focusing on security and economic collaboration.
Trump's first international trip of his second administration was about more than just signed agreements and promised payments.
(Image credit: Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images)

President Donald Trump's trip to the Middle East featured bombastic proclamations of deals done and progress made, even as the details for many of the president's talking points remain unclear. He returns home this week after the high-profile, high-stakes tour that had him visit multiple Arab nations on the first international trip of his second term in office. Replete with splashy photo-ops and a roster of notable cameos, Trump stopped in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, skipping typical stops in allied nations like Israel and Turkey.

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Rafi Schwartz, The Week US

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.