• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

      Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Customs Partners US Mission to Prevent Expanded Visa Ban

      Nigeria Customs Partners China on Smarter Ports, Officer Training, Reforms

      Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Customs Moves Against 223 Importers in N379bn Permit Breach

      Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Customs Boss

      How Customs is Tightening Borders to Stop Illicit Cash Flows –…

      Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

      Codeine, Tramadol Worth ₦20.5bn Seized as Customs-NAFDAC Cooperation Deepens

  • National
    • Tinubu’s Government Unveils Multi-Sectoral Initiatives to Boost Northern Region’s Development

      JUST IN: Tinubu Appoints Olumode Adeyemi New CG of Fire Service

      Okello Oculi

      Okello Oculi: A Pan-Africanist Asteroid Burns out Forever By Is’haq Modibbo…

      Coordinated Security Efforts Making Nigeria Safer Under Tinubu’s Administration – NSA…

      Abike Dabiri CEO NIDCOM

      NiDCOM Urges Restraint as Ghanaians Protest Against Nigerians Over Alleged Crimes

    • Government
      • Tinubu’s Government Unveils Multi-Sectoral Initiatives to Boost Northern Region’s Development

        Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr Aliyu S. Abdullahi,

        FG Redesigns Agricultural Curriculum to Empower Youth

        Prof. Attahiru Jega, Co-Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms,

        FG Unveils Livestock Blueprint to End Herdsmen-Farmers Crisis

        Saidu Ahmed Alkali,

        FG Completes 135 Roads, Launches 216 New Projects in Northern Nigeria

        Troops Neutralise 6 Terrorists in Coordinated Operations Across Borno, Recover Firearms

  • Security
    • JUST IN: Tinubu Appoints Olumode Adeyemi New CG of Fire Service

      Troops Neutralise 6 Terrorists in Coordinated Operations Across Borno, Recover Firearms

      Police Officer

      Police Nab Woman Linked to Murder of Pregnant Nurse, Mutilation in…

      Coordinated Security Efforts Making Nigeria Safer Under Tinubu’s Administration – NSA…

      3,000 Terrorists Killed, 120,000 Surrendered in Two Years — Defence Chief

  • Features
    • Okello Oculi

      Okello Oculi: A Pan-Africanist Asteroid Burns out Forever By Is’haq Modibbo…

      Leon Usigbe

      Death, you can’t be Proud of this By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem 

      Tinubu’s Plateau Gambit – Yilwatda, 2027, and the Return of the…

      Ozumi and a recipient of a wheelchair

      Wheels of Hope: How a Simple Gift is Reshaping Lives at…

      Late Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and Mansur Liman

      “Buhari: A Blunt, Honest Leader Who Laughed at His Own Predicament”

  • State
    • Tinubu’s Government Unveils Multi-Sectoral Initiatives to Boost Northern Region’s Development

      Troops Neutralise 6 Terrorists in Coordinated Operations Across Borno, Recover Firearms

      nipr logo

      NIPR Slams Fake News Peddlers over Alleged Lafia Flyover Collapse

      Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, Commissioner of Information, Kaduna State

      Kaduna Governor Appoints Strategic Communicator, Ahmed Maiyaki as Information Commissioner

      Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani

      Gov Sani sacks Commissioner, Announces New Appointment

  • Event
    • Founder Image Merchant Promotion Ltd, Yushau Shuaib, Nigeria Customs CG, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the IPRA representative during the 2024 GWA awards in Belgrade, Serbia

      IPRA Celebrates 70th Anniversary, Hosts 2025 Golden World Awards in Ghana

      IMPR Interns

      Unpacking Dr. Fatima Binta’s NIPR Vision: A Candid Chat with PRNigeria…

      Dr. Ahmadu Fatimah Binta

      Beyond the Clinic: Dr. Fatimah Binta Reveals PR’s Impact on Medicine

      FGC Yauri schoolgirls

      Kidnapped FGC Yauri Schoolgirls Defy Odds, Graduate with Distinction from Top…

      Super Falcons wins WAFCON Trophy

      VON Apologizes for Erroneous WAFCON Report, Cites Possible Security Breach, Identifies…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Features Trump’s Curious Attraction to the Arab-Muslim World By Yassim Dukawuya
  • Features
  • General

Trump’s Curious Attraction to the Arab-Muslim World By Yassim Dukawuya

By
Yassim Dukawuya
-
May 17, 2025
Donald J. Trump, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Donald J. Trump, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Trump’s Curious Attraction to the Arab-Muslim World By Yassim Dukawuya

Not everyone likes him. In fact, Donald J. Trump, the 45th and now 47th President of the United States, having returned to power after reelection, has been described by critics as a bully, an eccentric, and even a promoter of the theatrics of WrestleMania. Yet, love him or loathe him, Trump remains one of the most enigmatic and unconventional leaders in American history—often saying the unsayable and doing the unexpected.

One of the most symbolic gestures of his presidency was his choice of destination for his first official foreign visit during his first term in May 2017: the Arab-Muslim world. His itinerary took him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Vatican, but it was his engagement with the Arab Gulf states that captured global attention.

Similarly, in his inaugural state visit of his second term in office in May 2025, Trump again prioritized the Arab-Muslim nations of the Middle East.

It is important to note that while not all Muslim countries are Arab—such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, or Indonesia—Trump’s focus has consistently been on the wealthiest Arab Gulf monarchies, namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His approaches to these nations have sharply contrasted with his frosty rhetoric toward NATO allies, China, and, controversially, his overtures toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While the world anticipated an escalation of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, especially given NATO’s support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Trump took a divergent path. He has frequently expressed admiration for President Putin, even withholding critical support and sophisticated arms from Ukraine.

Similarly, on Iran—America’s long-standing adversary—Trump adopted an aggressive stance during his first tenure, withdrawing the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and threatening military action. In his second tenure, he again threatened military strikes, yet paradoxically softened his tone at times, welcoming backchannel negotiations through Qatar—a key U.S. ally and regional diplomatic powerhouse under the leadership of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Read Also:

  • FG Redesigns Agricultural Curriculum to Empower Youth
  • FG Secures China Funding to Fast-Track Kaduna–Kano Rail Completion
  • FG Unveils Livestock Blueprint to End Herdsmen-Farmers Crisis

Qatar has played a pivotal role in facilitating indirect talks between the United States and Iran. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), has hosted preparatory meetings aimed at exploring the possibility of mediating between Russia and Ukraine—a remarkable diplomatic feat, given the kingdom’s strategic ties with both countries.

Immediately after his reelection, Trump extended an invitation to influential Arab investors, notably Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of DAMAC Group, signaling his desire to attract billions of dollars in Gulf investment into the U.S. economy.

Given these developments, it is hardly surprising that Trump prioritized Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE for his first state visit of his second tenure. Beyond the billions of dollars in business deals covering arms sales, technology, energy, and infrastructure, his visit also carried deeper socio-political undertones.

One of the most startling moments of Trump’s Middle East diplomacy was his willingness to engage with unconventional players. In Riyadh, he met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of a rebel group that overthrew Syria’s longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad. Trump thus became the first U.S. president in over two decades to meet a Syrian leader, offering sanctions relief in hopes of charting a new path for the war-battered country.

Moreover, Trump—contrary to his earlier hawkish postures—adopted a surprisingly reconciliatory tone toward Iran during his remarks in the Gulf, hinting that progress was being made toward resolving the nuclear impasse.

In a nutshell, regardless of how he is perceived globally, President Trump is a leader who plays a complex game of geopolitical chess, where threats and bravado often serve as tools for negotiation and deal-making.

His engagement with the Arab-Muslim world, particularly with some of the wealthiest nations, portrays him not as an Islamophobe—as some critics allege—but as a pragmatic leader willing to recalibrate relationships for mutual benefit.

Trump’s leadership style, though bewildering, has demonstrated moments of unexpected diplomacy that arguably contributed to global stability, transcending his often-controversial America First slogan.

Beyond his state visits focused on strengthening economic partnerships, advancing U.S. strategic interests, and reinforcing diplomatic ties IN Riyad, Doha and Abu Dhabi, these gestures reflect a leader who, despite the controversies, understands the strategic, economic, and geopolitical importance of the Arab-Muslim world and seeks to reassure them that America prefers dialogue over perpetual conflict.

Whether Israel is happy with these developments remains unclear.

Yassim Dukawuya writes from Kofar Famfo, Kano City

[email protected]

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Arab-Muslim World
  • Donald Trump
Previous articleTask Force Arrests 31 Suspects for Various Offences in Kano, Recovers Weapons, Illicit Drugs
Next articleCustoms hands over seized illicit drugs worth N24.6m to NAFDAC
Yassim Dukawuya
Yassim Dukawuya

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Saidu Ahmed Alkali,

FG Secures China Funding to Fast-Track Kaduna–Kano Rail Completion

nipr logo

NIPR Slams Fake News Peddlers over Alleged Lafia Flyover Collapse

Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, Commissioner of Information, Kaduna State

Kaduna Governor Appoints Strategic Communicator, Ahmed Maiyaki as Information Commissioner

Okello Oculi

Okello Oculi: A Pan-Africanist Asteroid Burns out Forever By Is’haq Modibbo Kawu

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani

Gov Sani sacks Commissioner, Announces New Appointment

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar with the President of NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku during the unveiling of the National Reputation Management Group at Abuja on 15th October 2024.

NRMG Charged to Lead Battle Against Fake News, Reframe Nigeria’s Image

IMPR Interns

Unpacking Dr. Fatima Binta’s NIPR Vision: A Candid Chat with PRNigeria Interns

Dr. Ahmadu Fatimah Binta

Beyond the Clinic: Dr. Fatimah Binta Reveals PR’s Impact on Medicine

Nigerian Navy Personnel

Navy Arrests 9 Impostors Operating as Fake Coast Guards in Akwa Ibom

Lt. Col (Mrs) Onyechi Appolonia Anele, FSS, anipr

Army Dismisses Allegations of Delayed Promotions, Stagnant Allowances

court Judiciary

Court Remands TikToker Arrested by DSS for claiming President Tinubu died

Leon Usigbe

Death, you can’t be Proud of this By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem 

Recent Posts

  • Tinubu’s Government Unveils Multi-Sectoral Initiatives to Boost Northern Region’s Development
  • FG Redesigns Agricultural Curriculum to Empower Youth
  • FG Secures China Funding to Fast-Track Kaduna–Kano Rail Completion
  • FG Unveils Livestock Blueprint to End Herdsmen-Farmers Crisis
  • FG Completes 135 Roads, Launches 216 New Projects in Northern Nigeria
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Tinubu's Government Unveils Multi-Sectoral Initiatives to Boost Northern Region's DevelopmentFG Redesigns Agricultural Curriculum to Empower YouthFG Secures China Funding to Fast-Track Kaduna–Kano Rail CompletionFG Unveils Livestock Blueprint to End Herdsmen-Farmers CrisisFG Completes 135 Roads, Launches 216 New Projects in Northern NigeriaJUST IN: Tinubu Appoints Olumode Adeyemi New CG of Fire ServiceTroops Neutralise 6 Terrorists in Coordinated Operations Across Borno, Recover FirearmsPolice Nab Woman Linked to Murder of Pregnant Nurse, Mutilation in Anambra NIPR Slams Fake News Peddlers over Alleged Lafia Flyover CollapseTinubu Offers Automatic Jobs, Gifts N250k to 210 Ex-CorpersKaduna Governor Appoints Strategic Communicator, Ahmed Maiyaki as Information CommissionerCustoms Partners US Mission to Prevent Expanded Visa BanOkello Oculi: A Pan-Africanist Asteroid Burns out Forever By Is'haq Modibbo KawuCoordinated Security Efforts Making Nigeria Safer Under Tinubu's Administration - NSA RibaduGov Sani sacks Commissioner, Announces New Appointment
X whatsapp