Trillions in U.S. Investment at Stake in Gulf --- Iran war could upset increasingly close economic relations with the U.S.

 

“Last year, the richest countries in the Persian Gulf pledged to pump trillions of dollars of investment into the U.S. in a bid to charm President Trump and strengthen ties.

 

Today that financial embrace is under stress.

 

"Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war?" prominent Dubai businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor asked Trump in a post on X Thursday. The president, he said, put the Gulf states "at the heart of a danger they did not choose."

 

As Iran retaliates to U.S. attacks by raining missiles and drones on its Arab Gulf neighbors, the prospect of sustained turmoil in the energy-rich states stands to upset an increasingly profound economic relationship.

 

Before the war, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were behind a surge of U.S. investment, publicly embracing Trump closer than any U.S. president in recent history through their deep pockets.

 

The three countries' massive pledges -- more than $3 trillion among them -- were used by Trump to demonstrate a flood of investment into the U.S. The countries became go-to sources of funding for various Trump priorities ranging from AI initiatives to a Gaza rebuilding plan.

 

The conflict "raises new questions about the Gulf countries' capability and interest in investing in the U.S.," said Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank.

 

If it persists, she said, the conflict could shake up the countries' own finances -- reducing revenue from oil and gas, while prompting them to spend more on defense. The result could mean less cash to splash abroad.

 

The post by Al Habtoor, a Dubai billionaire who runs the Al Habtoor Group, marks a rare break of cautious public statements from the Emirati elite. The entrepreneur founded what was a tiny engineering firm in 1970, building it up to become a large conglomerate that includes luxury hotels, car dealerships and publishing.

 

A spokesman for Al Habtoor didn't respond to requests for comment.

 

The governments of the U.A.E., Saudi and Qatar have directed their criticism at Iran, protesting the attacks on their airports and ports as violations of sovereignty that threaten civilian lives. But before the U.S. launched its airstrikes, the Gulf governments had been resisting the prospect of a U.S. attack, fearing it could provoke a regional conflict that would envelop them.

 

"State-sponsored Iranian terrorism didn't just harm America and Americans, but our allies -- including other Gulf nations," a White House spokesman said. The operation "only safeguards regional stability and commerce in the region," he added.

 

Soon after arriving back in the White House last year, Trump found willing partners in the Gulf monarchies. His first major foreign trip was in a spring 2025 visit to the three states, where pledges of investment were sandwiched between grandiose welcomes on red and lavender-colored carpets and splashy dinners.

 

Since then, financial dealings with the Gulf have grown, such as a planned Disneyland theme park in Abu Dhabi and the donation of a jumbo jet from Qatar.

 

Many deals were discussed at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., in November, where Trump touted the strong partnership with Saudi Arabia.

 

Businesses including private-equity firm Blackstone and software maker Cisco Systems pledged investments in data centers around the Gulf.

 

Trump's family business and close associates have struck several deals there, too, raising money for crypto and private-equity ventures. Trump-branded residential towers and luxury golf courses are poised to appear in Qatar, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dubai.” [1]

 

1. World News: Trillions in U.S. Investment at Stake in Gulf --- Iran war could upset increasingly close economic relations with the U.S. Brown, Eliot; Kantchev, Georgi; Thomas, Lauren.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 07 Mar 2026: A6.