Trump in the Gulf Region: Day 3 – Schedule in UAE and Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi: Third Leg of a Strategic Middle-East Tour.
By Karan Bir Singh Sidhu
Retired IAS officer and former Special Chief Secretary, Punjab. He writes on international diplomacy, strategic affairs, and global economic realignments.
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Final Leg of a Strategic Middle-East Tour
Today, on 15 May 2025, President Donald Trump is scheduled to complete the third leg of his Middle East tour with a high-profile stop in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Following headline engagements in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the UAE segment is expected to mark a deliberate pivot from traditional security diplomacy to a forward-looking agenda centred on technology, clean energy, and strategic capital flows.
Notably, this leg will also witness the first formal and visible representation of Indian economic interests through the presence of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani—offering a sharp and credible counterpoint to Trump’s earlier off-the-cuff remarks about his supposed role in securing an Indo-Pak ceasefire. These impromptu comments, repeated on this tour, have reportedly caused considerable discomfort within India’s Ministry of External Affairs, whose seasoned diplomats have found themselves scrambling to clarify that such interventions were neither solicited nor substantiated. In contrast, Ambani’s appearance in Abu Dhabi today will offer a more structured and substantive imprint of India on the evolving architecture of Gulf geopolitics.
Ceremonial Welcome on Arrival
Air Force One is expected to touch down in the morning at Abu Dhabi’s Presidential Airport, escorted into UAE airspace by Emirati fighters after a symbolic hand-over from Qatari F-15s. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will lead the official reception, underscoring the importance Abu Dhabi attaches to the day’s agenda.
Bilateral Summit with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed
Late-morning talks at Qasr Al Watan will see Trump and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan focus on three pillars:
Semiconductors & AI – a proposed US $38 billion Emirati stake in advanced U.S. chip fabrication and AI co-development.
Clean-Energy Finance – a US $50 billion Emirati pledge for U.S. solar, hydrogen and carbon-capture projects.
Defence – renewal of long-term support agreements at Al Dhafra Air Base and the still-pending sale of F-35 aircraft.
UAE–US Investment Forum
During the afternoon session at the Emirates Palace, Trump will headline a business conclave featuring Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, First Solar and Emirati sovereign-wealth managers. Announcements are expected on:
Quantum & High-Performance Computing – a US $20 billion joint fund anchored by IBM and Abu Dhabi’s G42 for a regional quantum-innovation hub.
Space Collaboration – a US $4.2 billion launch-services contract for SpaceX plus expanded UAE support for NASA’s Artemis lunar programme.
Tour of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
A late-afternoon visit to MBZUAI in Masdar City will showcase the UAE’s home-grown generative-AI model Falcon 3.0 and launch a US $500 million scholarship scheme for Emirati students pursuing AI degrees in the United States.
State Dinner at Qasr Al Hosn: Diplomacy, Deals – and Mukesh Ambani
The Ambani–Trump Connection
One of the evening’s most closely watched guests will be Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India’s largest private-sector conglomerate by revenue. Ambani—accompanied by his wife Nita Ambani—was among a handful of global billionaires who attended President Trump’s second inauguration in Washington on 20 January 2025, underscoring his longstanding ties to the Trump family and the Republican establishment.
Proposed Reliance–ADNOC Collaboration
At the dinner, Ambani is expected to discuss expanding Reliance’s existing partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) beyond the Ta’ziz chemicals complex launched in 2021. The proposed next phase would:
Integrate Digital-Twin Technology at ADNOC’s Ruwais and Reliance’s Jamnagar refineries, using AI to optimise crude-to-chemicals yields and reduce carbon intensity.
Build a Petro-to-Polymers Hub in Ruwais focused on PVC, chlor-alkali and ethylene-dichloride, targeting regional demand and India’s fast-growing market.
Launch a Joint Decarbonisation Fund—initially capitalised at US $1 billion—to pilot carbon-capture, utilisation and storage projects across both companies’ refineries.
Explore Bio-Feedstock Blending allowing Reliance’s Jamnagar complex to process UAE-sourced sustainable aviation-fuel precursors by 2027.
These initiatives would sit alongside Reliance’s separate US $10 billion AI-driven refinery-optimisation venture with ADNOC announced earlier this year, aiming to make Abu Dhabi a regional centre for refinery analytics and advanced materials.
Other High-Profile Guests
Elon Musk is tipped to outline Tesla’s plan for a nationwide EV charging grid across the UAE.
Delegations from Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman will discuss broader energy-security arrangements.
Press Conference and Departure
Before midnight, Trump will brief the press, signalling continued U.S. backing for Syria’s reconstruction, urging Iran to expedite nuclear negotiations, and hailing the UAE as “America’s most visionary partner in the new Middle East.”
Controversies on the Sidelines
Questions persist about a US $400 million Boeing 747-8 offered by Qatar and potential conflicts of interest involving Trump-branded projects in Dubai and Oman; the White House is likely to dismiss ethical concerns.
Summing Up: From Oil to Algorithms
Trump’s Abu Dhabi stop is expected to blend legacy defence ties with a new techno-economic agenda. For Mukesh Ambani, it may open the door to position Reliance as a linchpin between Indian demand, Emirati capital, and U.S. technology—illustrating how business leaders, much like statesmen, are now poised to drive the geopolitics of energy, data, and advanced manufacturing.
Day 3 of President Trump’s Middle East tour—following a highly successful inaugural in Riyadh and a strategically significant day in Doha—is expected to be no less momentous. The visit to Abu Dhabi is likely to mark a crescendo in a tour carefully orchestrated not just for symbolic gestures but for outcome-driven diplomacy. With high-stakes announcements in energy, AI, defence, and investment expected to be sealed during the day, Trump’s engagements in the UAE are set to underscore a distinct shift from procedural summits to real-time deliverables. As he prepares to depart the region on 16 May, this visit is expected to stand out for producing immediate and tangible results—rather than merely launching long-winded processes typical of international meetings—serving as a fitting prelude to a high-impact finale.
Disclaimer:
The engagements and announcements outlined above reflect the official schedule and advance diplomatic briefings available as of 15 May 2025 morning. These are planned events currently on the anvil, and while every effort has been made to present an accurate forecast of the day’s agenda, the actual sequence or substance of developments may unfold differently owing to diplomatic dynamics, logistical adjustments, or unforeseen circumstances. We shall endeavour to highlight and report on any such deviations as they occur.