US Considers Granting Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar Special Investment Status

Bloomberg reported that Trump administration officials have internally studied the possibility of granting Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar special status to fast-track deals, a move that would pave the way for billions of dollars in investments, according to people familiar with the matter.

The agency quoted anonymous sources as saying that discussions on reforming the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) are still in their early stages. These measures would accelerate the flow of large investments to the United States from key American allies, although officials may decide not to do so.

Some details will emerge during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week, according to the sources. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant may join the delegation to follow up on CFIUS talks, which gained momentum during meetings in Washington on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The “fast track” would help remove a major obstacle for Gulf sovereign funds, which oversee trillions of dollars and have come under scrutiny by the Biden administration due to their alleged close ties to China. Last February, Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, said during a session at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Miami that 40% of the fund’s global investments are in the United States. He indicated that investments in the US could be increased, but unfortunately, there are restrictions preventing this. We hope the new administration will ease these restrictions.