As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to visit Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, experts say Israel is not a central focus of the trip—marking a shift from Trump’s first term, when Israel’s integration into the Middle East was a defining policy goal.
“This is mainly a Gulf-focused visit,” said Dalia Ziada of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, noting that the president aims to secure bilateral deals with Gulf states. These include a civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia and AI partnerships with the UAE. Reports suggest that Saudi normalization with Israel is no longer a prerequisite for a nuclear deal, reflecting shifting priorities.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently stated that normalization with Israel won’t happen until the war in Gaza ends and concrete steps are taken toward a Palestinian state. “MBS knows that as leader of the Sunni world, he can’t normalize ties with Israel without meaningful progress for Palestinians,” said Danny Citrinowicz of the Atlantic Council.
Despite appearances, Zineb Riboua of the Hudson Institute believes Washington hasn’t lost interest in Israel-Saudi normalization. Instead, the administration may be reviving the Abraham Accords strategy—first securing U.S.-Gulf ties, then pushing for Israeli integration.