The strategic breakthrough in US-Gulf relations, the billions of dollars in signed investments and economic partnerships, and the resounding success of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi mark a transformational shift in US-Arab relations.
It has also sent a clear warning to both Iran and Israel: hesitation is costly and dangerous. Indeed, an exceptional vessel has set course with full sails towards a different future – with or without them.
Political shrewdness now has an economic twin in wisdom. Vision has become the compass, and pragmatism has replaced slogans, one-upmanship and divisive disputes. So, where are the nations of the Gulf, and the broader Middle East and North Africa region, sailing to at this critical juncture?
Let us begin with Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cultivated an excellent relationship with Mr Trump. This matters because the latter personalises policies and uses personal rapport as a benchmark for state-to-state relations. But that didn’t come out of nowhere.
Turkey has acted as the key broker in achieving three major outcomes seen in Syria today.
First, the swift collapse of Bashar Al Assad’s rule, and the meteoric rise of former Hayat Tahrir Al Sham leader Ahmad Al Shara to the presidency. This transition culminated in a meeting between Mr Al Shara and Mr Trump, who announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and in co-ordination with Mr Erdogan.
Second, Turkey played a central role in forcing Russian influence out of Syria, capitalising on its preoccupation with the war in Ukraine. This has earned Turkey new prestige in the EU and Nato.
Third, Iran and its main proxy in Syria, Hezbollah, were pushed out in a manner that ended Tehran’s dominance, which had long propped up Mr Al Assad. It shut down Iranian arms supply routes to Hezbollah in Lebanon and smothered the life out of its “Persian Crescent” project.
Mr Erdogan was present in Riyadh, albeit remotely, during the Trump-Al Shara meeting. Gulf political intelligence was evident in the realisation that Syria could return to the Arab fold only through co-ordinated integration with Turkey. For its part, Ankara welcomes the Gulf’s new roles in Syria, having understood that the country’s recovery requires economic investments and reconstruction efforts far beyond its means.
Turkey also understands that its position in Syria also benefits its relationship with Israel. While this relationship appears tense, in practice it is one of co-ordination and tacit understanding.
Mr Al Shara, meanwhile, has proved to be adaptable and pragmatic in forming partnerships. In exchange for the US lifting sanctions, he committed to eliminating extremist groups such as ISIS, and a willingness to join the Abraham Accords. He has reportedly also signalled readiness to accept a demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights, sidestepping the thorny issue of whether the territory is Syrian or Israeli.
The challenges for Mr Al Shara are many. Is he willing or able to restrain groups he once belonged to? Can he protect minorities? Can he meet demands related to taking over prisons? Can he silence members of his own government who still speak the language of rejection when it comes to Israel?
While Syria was the star of the Riyadh summit, Lebanon received less attention. Nonetheless, it was still mentioned by Mr Trump and Gulf leaders alike. Lebanon, after all, is key to a new Pax Americana being created in the region.
Mr Trump is aiming to shape a regional security order that excludes no one. He has offered both Iran and Israel a road map, but he could not persuade either country to accept it before or during the visit. And having failed to secure a resolution on the Gaza conflict, it’s fair to say that this visit fell short politically even if it was a resounding success economically.
In the process, Israel has lost out. Mr Trump’s visit made it clear that the US-Saudi strategic breakthrough could be achieved without Riyadh formally joining the Abraham Accords. That is a blow to Israel. This does not mean the US-Israel alliance is in jeopardy. But it does mean that the previous dynamic between the two countries has shifted, especially in light of the qualitative leap in America’s relations with the Gulf.
Indeed, until recently, the Abraham Accords were a prerequisite for moving forward. Today, they are a goal, albeit no longer a condition for achieving a US-Saudi strategic breakthrough or a broader transformation in American-Arab relations.
Mr Trump was keen to extend a hand to Iran even as he solidified ties with the Gulf, which has in turn played a positive role in attempting to narrow the gap between American and Iranian positions, aiming to avoid a military confrontation. Mr Trump was explicit in inviting Iran to join the peace wagon – laden with economic, political and investment incentives. He also made it clear that what’s expected of Tehran is not just nuclear restraint, but also a halt to using armed proxies in the region.
Iran has dragged its feet and continues to stall, although Mr Trump’s announcement lifting sanctions on Syria will have given Tehran hope that it, too, can get sanctions relief if a deal is struck with Washington. However, the US President won’t leave the door of inducement open forever.
Mr Trump wants to shape the strategic architecture of a new regional order, and he is unlikely to wait indefinitely.
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
