Shafaqna English- Donald Trump’s personalized foreign policy has transformed US diplomacy in the Middle East into a matter of family ties, private agreements, and billionaire influence.
In this second term of the Trump administration, personal ties, backhanders, and flattery have all but replaced formal diplomacy in the Middle East.
The son of Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy to the Middle East, reportedly leveraged his connections to secure billions of dollars in investments from the Persian Gulf.
Overseas investors, including those from Saudi Arabia, account for 99% of the $6.16 billion managed by Affinity Partners, the investment fund founded and led by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and informal advisor, who also participated in delicate regional negotiations over Gaza.
A 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, co-founded by several members of the Trump and Witkoff families, was recently acquired for $500 million by UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, prompting suspicions of a quid pro quo when the Trump administration later allowed Abu Dhabi to access advanced US-made AI chips.
Sources: New Arab