Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
US President Donald Trump is to receive a royal welcome at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday as he embarks on the final leg of a milestone Gulf tour.
Mr Trump will be the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by President Sheikh Mohamed at the palace of the nation in another high-profile engagement during a busy itinerary that has taken in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and will conclude in the Emirates.
During Mr Trump's visit - his biggest overseas trip since returning to the White House - US ties with the region have been strengthened, with important steps made towards bolstering peace and stability, and big-money deals being struck.
Qasr Al Watan is only one part of the sprawling Presidential Palace compound in Ras Al Akhdar that was handed over by contractors in 2015 and finished in 2017.
The palace houses the formal offices of the President, the Vice President and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Parts of the spectacular building were opened to the public in 2019, giving citizens and residents a glimpse into the famous halls in which many world leaders have set foot.
Architectural marvel
The lavish grounds feature a labyrinth of white domes, ornate buildings and gardens. The crown jewel is the Great Hall, the architectural heart of Qasr Al Watan. It measures 100 metres by 100 metres and its huge 37m diameter dome is even larger than the main dome of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
The hall’s broader architectural style has flickers of Mughal-era design but also incorporates classic local motifs such as the arch, dome and ornate tile-work. At each corner of the Great Hall stands a mirrored cubes.
The vast palace also features a room dedicated to displaying presidential gifts given to the UAE by countries across the globe. Carpets from Turkmenistan, an ornate sword and shield from Kazakhstan, armour from Japan and a beautiful khanjar from Oman all bring colour to the dry world of diplomacy.
Al Barza majlis is another glittering centrepiece of the palace. The Emirati majlis is a place of gathering and council that can hold up to 300 guests and is decorated with impressive chandeliers and golden finishes.
A fully prepared banquet hall serves as a celebration of Emirati hospitality. Plates are hand-painted, the food reflects the country where the host comes from, while tables at the front are half empty so guests do not turn their backs on the hosts.
A popular meal served at these functions is quzi – an entire lamb sitting on a bed of rice.
Visitors can also explore a huge public library with a collection spanning at least 40,000 books in both Arabic and English. People can access this free of charge when they join the emirate's library service.
Welcoming global leaders
Qasr Al Watan has hosted a number of global leaders during state visits to the Emirates.
World renowned guests include Chinese President Xi Jinping, the late Pope Francis during his milestone tour of the UAE in 2019, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
It also regularly stages meetings of the UAE Cabinet and other government gatherings and official ceremonies throughout the year.
Trump's Gulf tour - in pictures
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
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Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
- US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
- Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
- Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
- Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
- Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
- The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
- Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
- Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
