US President Donald Trump's visit to the Gulf was briefly previewed during a discussion at a financial conference in California on Tuesday.
The visit came up during a moderated panel event at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, where the world's financial and economic leaders have gathered this week to talk.
The conference comes a week before Mr Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. His visit is expected to focus on securing investment deals, tariffs, the Gaza war and Iran.
“I'm sure the more this kind of engagement, the better we will be able to understand each other and to understand each other will mean that we could be in a better place to address common concerns,” said Nayef Al Hajraf, chairman of Capital Asset Management and former secretary general of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Mr Al Hajraf acknowledged that while there are “always differences” with respect to politics, Mr Trump's economic and investment agenda during his visit could be measured in a more objective way.
“One plus one equals two. And I think that's where we need to focus our effort,” he said.
He also said there will be a large business delegation arriving in Riyadh for an investment forum, which he said will be a sideline event during Mr Trump's visit.
The Saudi-US Investment Forum on May 13 will convene private and public sector officials with key industries to focus on energy, minerals, financial services, artificial intelligence, manufacturing and health care.
"I really believe that very tangible things will come from it," Charles Hallab, chief executive of the US-Saudi Business Council, told The National.
Saudi Arabia has already pledged to invest at least $600 billion in the US over the next four years, while the UAE plans to contribute $1.4 trillion over the next decade as part of an "investment framework".
Mr Trump's visit to the Gulf also comes as uncertainty over his tariff agenda continues to vex investors. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were all subject to a 10 per cent “reciprocal” tariff announced by the US President last month. Economists argue the region will not be directly affected by tariffs.
Members speaking on the panel called for more clarity on Mr Trump's plans and the need for a quick solution, although they noted market volatility so far has no damaging effect.
“As investors, we will need to under have greater clarity … because we hear a lot of CEOs sort of holding back,” said Abu Dhabi Investment Capital chief investment officer Shiv Srinivasan.
Mr Srinivasan also said market volatility does not have to be a “bad thing” and noted uncertainty could also provide opportunities of which investors can take advantage.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
- 1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
- 2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
- 3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
- 4th ODI, Sunday, April 16
Squads:
- UAE: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
- Zimbabwe: Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Results
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
