President Trump departed the United Arab Emirates on Friday to head back to Washington, touting major investment agreements from his trip to the Middle East and telling reporters he planned to see his new grandchild upon his return.
“I have a nice grandchild waiting, which I’ll see soon, but this was a fantastic moment for our country. I really believe that,” Trump told reporters moments before leaving on Air Force One. His daughter Tiffany Trump had a baby Thursday.
“Everyone’s talking about it, and the respect shown to our country was incredible,” he added.
Financial investments and business deals were front and center during Trump’s trip.
The White House touted a $600 billion agreement with Saudi Arabia, though the specifics amounted to less than that number. The administration also cited an economic deal with Qatar that was expected to be worth more than $243 billion.
The deal with Qatar included an agreement for Qatari Airways to purchase 160 jets from Boeing.
Trump also signed a deal with the United Arab Emirates worth more than $200 billion, and the two sides agreed to strengthen their cooperation on artificial intelligence. On Friday, a UAE official announced plans to build an aluminum factory in the U.S.
“I will say I did that, and everyone will say, ‘Meh.’ But somebody’s going to be cutting a ribbon and say — well, we’re going to be finished long before that,” Trump told reporters. “But somebody’s going to be taking the credit for this. You remember, press, this guy did it.”
White House officials had sought to capitalize on the trip to the Middle East by announcing business deals and financial commitments to burnish the president’s efforts to boost the U.S. economy, particularly as his tariff policies had caused uncertainty.
The trip was overshadowed at times by the donation of a Qatari luxury jet to be used as a new Air Force One. Democrats and Republicans raised ethics and security concerns about the gift, but Trump has repeatedly brushed them aside and argued it would be foolish not to accept the plane.
