
About this episode
This week, Donald Trump completed his first official trip abroad, a bling-filled tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE that was punctuated by lots of his favourite things: lucrative deals.
He also announced he would be lifting sanctions on Syria and that a deal with Iran is close.
It was a trip designed to focus on positive headlines, alliances, and good vibes - a rare narrative in the Middle East these days.
Venetia talks to Saudi policy analyst Dr Najah Al-Otaibi about how the trip went down in the Gulf, some of the deal highlights, and why Trump has such a close 'bromance' with Saudi leader Mohammed Bin Salman.
There was one area where things weren't so positive - the Gaza war, which is set to intensify in the coming weeks despite growing warnings of famine amid an Israeli aid blockade.
Jonathan Crickx, Unicef's chief of communications in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, shares his insights and experiences from his recent trip to the Strip.
Contact us with feedback or ideas:
@venetiarainey
@RolandOliphant
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