The US art of investment diplomacy

US President Donald Trump is back from his Middle East trip; his first major overseas visit after assuming office in his second tenure. The visit resulted in commitments of more than $2 trillion of investment from the oil-rich Gulf Arab states. Yet a question is making the rounds: Would all those commitments materialise, especially in the backdrop of a subdued oil market and growing budgetary pressures on oil-exporting Arab governments? Rather than striving for broader geopolitical goals, the trip revolved around business deals. The trader in Trump seemed to be in play. Conspicuously, the trip itinerary did not include Tel Aviv, which was a major deviation from the past. Further, not much pressure, at least in front of the public, was exerted upon Riyadh to join the Abrahamic Accords and recognise Israel. From that perspective, Pakistan was also spared of any additional ‘public’ pressure to recognise Israel.