00:00Joseph W. Westphal is a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a professor at the Wharton
00:05School of the University of Pennsylvania.
00:08This is a big shift in strategy.
00:10You know, when I was there as ambassador, our chief efforts were dealing with counterterrorism.
00:17And we have shifted.
00:18And much of this change has been brought about by the vision of Mohammed bin Salman, who,
00:24with his economic strategic plan for the country, has transformed Saudi Arabia.
00:29And thereby giving us an opportunity to change our strategy in the Middle East from counterterrorism
00:36to developing business opportunities, to increasing the relationship between our peoples.
00:44So it's a very big shift in strategy, a very positive shift in strategy.
00:48Donald Trump, of course, wants to be known as a deal maker, more than a trillion dollars
00:53worth of deals talked about so far.
00:55How does this visit and these deals fit into the pursuit of soft power by countries in
01:00the Gulf?
01:01Well, I think you're right that he wants to be seen as a deal maker.
01:05But he also wants to be seen as somebody who's transforming both the strategic and security
01:14situation in the Middle East.
01:16His opening up to Syria, his relations with Erdogan and Turkey, his attempts to do something
01:25about the Gaza situation and build relationships between the Gulf countries and Israel.
01:34And these are these are important measures beyond just the business deals.
01:38So, you know, the business deals are important because they continue to cement our relationship
01:43with Saudi Arabia.
01:45When I was there, we were a major trading partner.
01:48Now, China is the chief major trading partner to Saudi Arabia, mostly because of oil.
01:54And we'd like to have a stronger relationship and offset the growing relationship that China
02:02has had with with Saudi Arabia.
02:04So do you think that President Trump's strategy will be successful when it comes to perhaps
02:09securing long term stability in the region?
02:14I do.
02:15I think that long term stability, of course, is a two way road.
02:18And it's not just the president wanting that or trying to evolve a good security situation,
02:24but it's also up to the Gulf states and their leaders.
02:28And I think it's working in both directions.
02:31I think both both the Middle East countries and the United States are evolving into a much
02:40more of a security and and strategic relationship that's foundational and also based a lot on the
02:49business relationship.
02:50Now, I think they announced these big deals and, you know, the trillion dollars and all of
02:55that.
02:55And it probably won't come to all of that.
02:57It'll be it'll be much less than that, mainly because Saudi Arabia, for example, again,
03:04a country of 38 million people is suffering some budget issues with the price of oil being
03:10down.
03:11And it has to dip into its sovereign wealth fund to support its budget and economy.
03:16It's trying to transform its economy is trying to provide employment for, you know, 60 percent
03:23of its people are under the age of 30, 35.
03:27And so it's it's it's a big task that they have.
03:30So probably it isn't going to amount to a trillions of dollars of buying of U.S.
03:35things or investing in the United States, but it will mean a lot bigger investment.
03:42And I think what they need is for the United States to also invest in Saudi Arabia.
03:46And that's a that's something that I didn't hear much discussion of.
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