More than $2 trillion in business deals “were locked in” during the historic four-day official to three GCC countries by US President Donald Trump

According to the White House, “(Trump’s visit) was a huge success, locking in over $2 trillion in great deals — including a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia; a $1.2 trillion economic exchange agreement with Qatar; $243.5 billion in US-Qatar commercial and defence deals; and $200 billion in US-UAE commercial deals.”

“President Trump’s historic collaboration with these Middle Eastern nations not only strengthens America’s economy but also fosters greater safety and stability in the region, paving the way for a more prosperous and secure future,” the White House added.

Here’s a recap of the business deals and market analysis:

• The UAE and US plan to spend $440bn in the energy sector through to 2035.

• About $200 billion of commercial deals were made, including Etihad Airways’ $14.5 billion aircraft order from Boeing.

• GE Emirates Global Aluminum's announced investment to develop a $4 billion primary aluminum smelter project in Oklahoma.

• A massive data center project in Abu Dhabi to advance AI capabilities with a 5GW capacity. A preliminary agreement was also made for the UAE to import 500,000 Nvidia AI chips annually.

• Back in March, when senior UAE officials met Trump, the UAE had committed to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework in the US in sectors including energy, AI and manufacturing to deepen reciprocal ties.

• Trump clinched a $600 billion multiple agreements deals from Saudi Arabia to invest in the US, according to the White House. Military and medical research are among the areas covered.

• Trump also announced Saudi Arabia will allocate $142 billion on US weapons. The  US president said it was “the biggest single military deal on record”.

• AviLease, backed by KSA’s Public Investment Fund, will buy $4.8 billion worth of Boeing 737-8 passenger jets.

• Saudi Aramco will invest $3.4 billion in Motiva refinery in Texas.

• Investments woth $80 billion Saudi and US by Google, Oracle, Salesforce, Advanced Micro Devices, Uber, and DataVolt.  About $20 billion will also be invested by Saudi-based DataVolt on AI data centres in the US.

• GE Vernova will supply gas turbines and energy solutions totalling $14.2 billion.

• Nvidia will ship 18,000 Blackwell chips to Saudi for use in a 500MW data centre.

• Qatar Airways placed orders for 160 jetliners plus option to buy 50 more. The deal was worth $96 billion, according to the White House.

• Qatar and the US signed a deal to boost defence. Trump announced in front of US troops at Al Udeid airbase: “We signed an agreement for Qatar to purchase $42billion-worth of the finest American military hardware including THAAD missile batteries, Pegasus refueling aircraft, Desert Vipers, light armored vehicles, amphibious combat vehicles, the MQ-9B and the Sky Guardian drones.”

• The White House said  Parsons has won 30 projects worth up to $97billion.

• Quantinuum forged a joint venture agreement with Qatar’s Al Rabban Capital to invest up to $1 billion in quantum technologies.

• Raytheon secured a $1 billion agreement to boost Qatar’s counter-drone capabilities.

• General Atomics secured an agreement worth around $2 billion for the acquisition of remotely piloted aircraft system.

• Even before his trip, Trump said he would accept of a $400 million Boeing 747-8 to the US government.

Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo Bank, shared her insights. She said: “Trump’s Middle East tour unlocked over $2.8 trillion in deals, spanning aviation, AI, defence, and energy — putting U.S. firms at the center of Gulf ambitions to modernise and diversify.

“Boeing, Nvidia, GE, and Raytheon emerged as major winners, securing multi-billion-dollar orders across Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, while tech giants like Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon gained cloud and AI infrastructure footholds,” she added.

Charu Chanana. Photo: Supplied

On the other hand, she noted: “Investors should watch for potential hurdles such as stricter export controls on advanced chips, delays in infrastructure projects, and political shifts that could affect approvals and partnerships.

Chanana advised investors “to stay selective and focused on policy-driven sectors with strategic tailwinds.” She explained: “Many U.S. companies are heavily tied to Gulf state-owned entities, which adds risk if regional dynamics change.

“Valuations for some stocks, especially in AI and defence, are high, so any execution delays or geopolitical issues could cause sharp declines,” she underscored.

In the aftermath of Trump’s visit, Chanana observed: “The Gulf is fast becoming a global AI and cloud hub — with sovereign AI campuses, massive chip import deals, and sovereign cloud infrastructure. In the region, US tech giants like Nvidia, Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon, and Palantir are leading the charge."

Chanana also noted defence spending in the region has also regained momentum during Trump’s visit — with focus on drones, missile systems, and aircraft “for renewed regional security priorities.”

Another key sector that has gained momentum is aviation, where demand is taking off with widebody jet orders from Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia exceeding $115 billion – signaling a powerful post-Covid recovery in long-haul travel and fleet upgrades, noted Chanana.

Antonoaldo Neves. Photo: Supplied

In a separate statement sent to Khaleej Times, Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said the UAE national airline has steadily grown its fleet as part of a long-term strategy to double in size by 2030.

Etihad confirmed an order for 28 wide-body Boeing aircraft, including a mix of Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft, powered by GE engines. “These aircraft are expected to join the fleet from 2028 onwards and will support Etihad’s existing plans for growth in connectivity, operational efficiency, and guest experience,” said Neves noted.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier is currently finalising a detailed plan that will shape the airline’s strategy through to 2035, added Neves, noting: “The additional Boeing aircraft will form part of that evolving roadmap, ensuring the airline is well positioned to deliver extraordinary customer experiences and to remain financially self-sustainable.”