Trump’s Early Foreign Policy Focus on Saudi Arabia

Reflecting back to eight years ago, during the initial days of Donald Trump’s presidency, I found myself in the White House situation room. We, a group of senior advisors, were debating our strategy regarding Saudi Arabia. The options seemed stark: continue the traditional dialogues with Saudi leaders we’ve known for decades, or pivot towards engaging newer leaders—those untested yet eager for significant social and economic reforms.

Jared Kushner was particularly vocal about backing a new leader, specifically Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). His argument was that this shift could help lead Saudi Arabia in a progressive direction, distancing from the older generations that were steeped in stringent religious and social conservatism. The vision? A more modern and open society that promotes women’s rights.

The goal was clear: diversify the Saudi economy, moving away from dependence on oil and emphasizing technology, investment, and infrastructure. This would also mean getting a handle on Islamic extremism and aligning with the West to combat terrorism. They were, intriguingly, open to pursuing peace agreements with Israel.

Trump’s choice was pivotal and marked one of his significant foreign policy decisions. He maintained strong support for Israel while banking on the younger generation of Sunni Arab leaders, even pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal initiated by Barack Obama. His belief was that the path to Middle Eastern peace ran through Riyadh and Israel, not Tehran.

This week’s visit to Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar and the UAE, felt like a victory lap for Trump. He proudly declared that a new generation of leaders is ready to rise above historical conflicts. They aim to redefine the Middle East as a place of commerce rather than chaos, straying from past divisions.

Despite some chilly interactions with the Biden administration, the Gulf Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, have made remarkable strides over the past eight years. Their efforts have been crucial in countering ISIS and other extremist factions, playing a significant but somewhat behind-the-scenes role in the Abraham Accord between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. While Saudi Arabia hasn’t yet formally signed the Accord, it’s on a gradual path toward doing so.

During this trip, Gulf Arab leaders encouraged Trump to open lines of dialogue with Syria’s new leadership. With the lifting of some severe sanctions, he offered Syria a chance at renewal. The hope is that Syria can transform from a long-standing tragedy into a state of potential, moving past its history of chemical weapon use and extremism.

Moreover, Trump seems to have positioned interests as a core component of American foreign policy, moving away from the previous, often criticized approach of interventionism. His vision contrasts sharply with past beliefs that focused on pushing nations into a specific mold.

As Trump expressed in an address to the UN General Assembly back in 2017, he advocated for mutual respect among nations without expecting them to conform to a single cultural or governmental system. He asserted, “We don’t aim to impose a way of life on anyone; we strive to be an example.”

The approach underscores a philosophy of “peace through strength,” emphasizing not just military might but all forms of strength, aligning with the original ethos of America’s founding principles. There’s a clear call to empower sovereign nations to shape their own futures.