United States President Trump received an unexpected gift during his visit to the United Arab Emirates last Friday, May 16th – a drop of oil, which sparked laughter with his instant reaction.
During a business forum held in Abu Dhabi on Friday, Trump met with industry leaders and oil magnates. He was presented with a special gift – a drop of oil, delicately packaged in a box.
“This is the highest quality oil on Earth, they only gave me a drop,” Trump said upon receiving the gift. “So, I’m not excited, but it’s better than having none at all.” The President’s humorous response drew laughter from the audience.
The related video quickly spread on social media platforms.
CNN stated that this drop of oil carries significant meaning. As one of the world’s largest oil-exporting countries, the United Arab Emirates has previously stated that they will hold a celebration ceremony when they extract their last barrel of oil in the future. Currently, the country is actively promoting economic diversification to reduce reliance on hydrocarbons.
UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan previously mentioned, “In 50 years, we will celebrate the extraction of the last barrel of oil. Since oil is a non-renewable resource, we should develop future plans based on this premise.”
The UAE leadership hopes for US assistance in becoming a global leader in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
On Friday, Trump stated that the UAE and the US have reached an agreement on purchasing advanced AI chips from American companies, marking a significant victory for the UAE.
President Trump concluded his Middle East trip in the UAE on Friday. During the four-day journey, he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. He was not only warmly welcomed but also secured enormous investments totaling trillions of dollars from the three countries. He also secured the largest order in history for Boeing, an American company.
During his visit to the UAE, Trump thanked the UAE President for deciding to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States over the next ten years. Etihad Airways pledged to invest $14.5 billion to purchase 28 Boeing aircraft. This marked another major order for Boeing during Trump’s Middle East trip. In Qatar, Qatar Airways signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase up to 210 Boeing aircraft.
Trump’s Middle East trip also left a strong impression on observers. According to Reuters, Laura Blumenfield, an Middle East analyst at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, described Trump’s royal tour in the Gulf countries as impressive.