US-Middle East alignment unlikely

Significance

He will meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders and top officials from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as non-members Egypt, Iraq and Jordan (together known as GCC+3). Washington has articulated a wide set of issues that it wants to cover, but at the cost of a clear focus.

Impacts

• A negative outcome would exacerbate perceptions in many regional capitals that Washington is a less reliable regional partner.
• Middle Eastern states will continue to diversify their political, economic, security and defence networks.
• Success is more likely on regional trade and investment, clean energy technologies and climate change dialogue.
• Egypt, Jordan and Iraq are unlikely to gain much from the multilateral meetings