Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump waves at an election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida. AFP
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump waves at an election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida. AFP

2025 - The return of Donald Trump

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Updated 19 April 2025
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2025 - The return of Donald Trump

2025 - The return of Donald Trump
  • The master of ‘shock and awe’ has once again made the Middle East a priority

WASHINGTON D.C.: For a newspaper covering the Middle East, there is no shortage of moments vying for selection as the most significant news event of 2025.

Scarcely a day passes without a fresh development in the ongoing conflict triggered by the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023, which inaugurated a cascade of tragedies throughout the region.

Hamas continues to hold Israelis hostage, keeping them and their families suffering unspeakably. Hamas’s refusal to turn the hostages over and surrender has trapped civilians in war’s crossfire, effectively holding Gazans hostage too, rather than allowing Gaza to rebuild free from the grip and tyranny of terrorists. Tens of thousands of civilians have lost their lives.

Yet what has transpired in America may soon be seen by historians and geopolitical analysts alike as the most significant event to have taken place in 2025 — with seismic repercussions for the Middle East and, indeed, the entire world.

It does not minimize the importance of the latest in a series of generational tragedies ensnaring Palestinians and Israelis, to suggest that a political event that took place more than 9,500 kilometers away is itself a generational story.

From a purely American perspective, the inauguration and return to the White House of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20 this year was, without doubt, the single most remarkable political comeback in US history.

Elected president for the first time in November 2016, Trump’s political career appeared finished — at least to his detractors — when Democratic candidate Joe Biden was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021.

How we wrote it




With the flashy headline “He’s Back,” Arab News featured Donald Trump’s win, leading with Arab leaders’ congratulations.

Trump, however, then did what only one other American president has done before. Returning to the fray, in November 2024 he handily defeated Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee and, in so doing, became only the second president, after Grover Cleveland in the late 19th century, to win two non-consecutive terms of office.

In January this year, buoyed by his large Electoral College victory and popular vote mandate — and with the Republican party, now largely shaped in his image, controlling both houses of Congress — President Trump hit the ground running. His four years out of power allowed him to further hone and develop the ideas and policies that would build on the successes of his first term.

His first two months back in the Oval Office have been a blur of activity that has left observers at home and abroad stunned, some frustrated and many impressed. World leaders are scrambling to understand and adapt to a dynamic new US administration determined to put America, and Americans, first in all things. Perhaps these observers and leaders forgot that this was what Trump said he would do, and that it is his job.

On March 10, the White House issued a statement titled “50 wins in 50 days,” highlighting Trump’s achievements to date. Many of these were, of course, domestic in nature, addressing concerns close to the heart of his support base: controlling immigration; cutting bureaucratic red tape, waste and fraud; appointing Elon Musk to run a new Department of Government Efficiency; ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and much more.

But ever since his first term, when he ushered in the Abraham Accords, Trump has harbored a determination to bring peace to the Middle East — or at least those parts of the Middle East in which that is realistically achievable — and in 2025 he has wasted no time returning to that ambition.

Key Dates

  • 1

    Trump produces and stars in reality TV series ‘The Apprentice,’ in which contestants compete to earn his approval and land a job with a 6-figure salary in his organization.

    Timeline Image Jan. 8, 2004

  • 2

    Trump declared US president after defeating Democrat rival Hilary Trump declared US president after defeating Democrat rival Hilary Clinton with 57.2 percent of Electoral College vote.

    Timeline Image Nov. 8, 2016

  • 3

    Trump visits Saudi Arabia at start of his first international trip as president. He meets King Salman, as well as Arab and GCC leaders.

    Timeline Image May 20, 2017

  • 4

    Trump recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel, moves the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

    Timeline Image Dec. 6, 2017

  • 5

    US withdraws from the Iran nuclear deal, which aimed to restrict the country’s nuclear-research program in exchange for sanctions relief.

  • 6

    Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani killed by US drone strike in Baghdad, a mission ordered by Trump.

    Timeline Image Jan 3, 2020

  • 7

    Trump poses with Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the three countries normalize relations in historic Abraham Accords. Morocco follows suit in December, and Sudan in January 2021.

    Timeline Image Sept. 15, 2020

  • 8

    Trump wins second term in historic comeback that defies impeachments and felony convictions.

    Timeline Image Nov. 4, 2024

During those first 50 days, President Trump restored pressure on Iran; redesignated the Houthis in Yemen as terrorists, unleashing a series of airstrikes to end their attacks on Red Sea shipping; and proposed a bold plan for peace and prosperity in Gaza.

Since the president’s return to office, one of the major questions surrounding his administration has been how it will handle foreign affairs. There are, of course, many factors at play, including the extraordinary complexity of regions experiencing conflict.

But having served as his envoy to Middle East during his first term, and having worked closely with him for 20 years prior to that, I have observed how the fundamental approach that defines President Trump’s diplomatic philosophy remains consistent: speak truth even when others are mired in diplomatic platitudes, envision deals that provide all parties with realistic achievements, and focus on what they truly need rather than what they publicly demand or what their leaders promise.

President Trump approaches problems from a realistic perspective and seeks to fix them, not to adhere to conventions. He deals with the here and now, not the state of the world years ago, nor as we wish it to be. He treats conventional wisdom as a reflection of possibly outdated truths.

I witnessed firsthand how conventional wisdom can become an obstacle to progress, particularly when it calcifies into dogma that resists adjustment.

I still recall the skepticism that preceded our efforts on the Abraham Accords. John Kerry, the former US secretary of state, exemplified the entrenched thinking dominating Middle East diplomacy with his dismissive “no, no, no” regarding the question of whether Arab-Israeli peace was possible without first resolving the Palestinian issue. He had mistaken an unscientific consensus for an immutable truth.

By ignoring failed consensuses and focusing instead on shared interests and possibilities, President Trump proved Kerry wrong, wrong, wrong.

This success was not accidental but resulted from President Trump’s deliberate strategy of challenging assumptions, speaking honestly about realities on the ground, and letting new thinking flourish.




Trump is rushed offstage during his presidential campaign’s Pennsylvania rally after an assassination attempt. Getty Images

For today’s challenges, particularly the devastating Russia-Ukraine war, this approach offers great promise.

Bringing in new US partners as conflict mediators is a valuable element of Trump’s global strategy. Saudi Arabia’s emerging role as a diplomatic broker presents an opportunity that aligns with President Trump’s preference for unconventional pathways to peace.

Nations without the historical baggage of failed negotiations can secure trust and buy-in from opposing sides precisely because they represent a clean slate. The Saudis, and the leaders of other Gulf states, such as the UAE and Qatar, are also generally immune to the Western condition of calcified dogma, allowing them to think more pragmatically on many issues.

Within the Middle East, the core American interests remain clear: foster peace between nations, combat terrorism, and contain disorder. I expect President Trump to seek opportunities for the reduction and elimination of regional conflicts with pragmatic optimism, and I am optimistic about the potential for breakthroughs precisely because his plain truths force potential partners to snap out of diplomatic complacency.

There are areas of the Middle East, such as Lebanon and Syria, where Trump’s methods might finally help them turn the corner and build a better future. It has been decades since that was even a possibility.

Sometimes, meaningful progress requires disrupting expectations. In diplomacy, the most profound achievements often come not from refining existing processes but from fundamentally reimagining what is possible.

My money is on Trump knowing how to put the pieces together. He simply gets things done.

Will Donald Trump’s return to the White House still appear to have been the most significant event of 2025 when this year draws to a close? I think so. I think it will be the most significant event for many years to come, both domestically and abroad.

As the White House statement on March 10 noted, “President Trump is just getting started.”

  • Jason Greenblatt was the White House Middle East envoy in the first Trump administration. He is the author of the widely acclaimed book ‘In the Path of Abraham,’ and director of Arab-Israel diplomacy for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.


Turkish Tufts University student released from Louisiana immigration detention center

Updated 42 sec ago
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Turkish Tufts University student released from Louisiana immigration detention center

Turkish Tufts University student released from Louisiana immigration detention center
  • The Ph.D. student claimed she was illegally detained over an op-ed she co-wrote last year against Israel’s war in Gaza
  • Judge said the government had offered no evidence about why Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested other than the op-ed

A Tufts University student from Turkiye was released from a Louisiana immigration detention center Friday, more than six weeks after she was arrested walking on the street of a Boston suburb.
US District Judge William Sessions in Burlington ordered the release of Rumeysa Ozturk pending a final decision on her claim that she’s been illegally detained following an op-ed she co-wrote last year that criticized the school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. A photo provided by her legal team showed her outside, smiling with her attorneys in Louisiana, where the immigration proceedings will continue.
“Despite an 11th hour attempt to delay her freedom by trying to force her to wear an ankle monitor, Rumeysa is now free and is excited to return home, free of monitoring or restriction,” attorney Mahsa Khanbabai said.
Even before her release, Ozturk’s supporters cheered the decision, punctuating an earlier news conference held by her attorneys with chants of “She is free!”
“What we heard from the court today is what we have been saying for weeks, and what courts have continued to repeat up and down through the litigation of this case thus far,” Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, told reporters. “There’s absolutely no evidence that justifies detaining Ozturk for a single day, let alone the six and a half weeks that she has been detained, because she wrote a single op-ed in her student newspaper exercising her First Amendment right to express an opinion.”
Appearing by video for her bail hearing, Ozturk, 30, detailed her growing asthma attacks in detention and her desire to finish her doctorate degree focusing on children and social media while appearing remotely at her bail hearing from the Louisiana center. She and her lawyer hugged after hearing the judge’s decision.
“Completing my Ph.D. is very important to me,” she testified. She had been on track to finish her work in December when she was arrested.
Ozturk was to be released on her own recognizance with no travel restrictions, Sessions said. He said she is not a danger to the community or a flight risk, but that he might amend his release order to consider any specific conditions by ICE in consultation with her lawyers.
Sessions said the government had offered no evidence about why Ozturk was arrested other than the op-ed.
“This is a woman who is just totally committed to her academic career,” Sessions said. “This is someone who probably doesn’t have a whole lot of other things going on other than reaching out to other members of the community in a caring and compassionate way.”
A message seeking comment was emailed Friday afternoon to the US Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Sessions told Acting US Attorney Michael Drescher he wants to know immediately when she is released.
Sessions said Ozturk raised serious concerns about her First Amendment and due process rights, as well as her health. She testified Friday that she has had 12 asthma attacks since her detention, starting with a severe one at the Atlanta airport.
“I was afraid, and I was crying,” she said.
Immigration officials surrounded Ozturk in Massachusetts on March 25 and drove her to New Hampshire and Vermont before putting her on a plane to a detention center in Basile, Louisiana. Her student visa had been revoked several days earlier, but she was not informed of that, her lawyers said.
Ozturk’s lawyers first filed a petition on her behalf in Massachusetts, but they did not know where she was and were unable to speak to her until more than 24 hours after she was detained. A Massachusetts judge later transferred the case to Vermont.
Ozturk was one of four students who wrote an op-ed in the campus newspaper, The Tufts Daily, last year criticizing the university’s response to student activists demanding that Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Ozturk said Friday that if she is released, Tufts would offer her housing and her lawyers and friends would drive her to future court hearings. She is expected to return to New England on Saturday at the earliest.
“I will follow all the rules,” she said.
A State Department memo said Ozturk’s visa was revoked following an assessment that her actions ”‘may undermine US foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization’ including co-authoring an op-ed that found common cause with an organization that was later temporarily banned from campus.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in March, without providing evidence, that investigations found that Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a US-designated terrorist group.
“When did speaking up against oppression become a crime? When did speaking up against genocide become something to be imprisoned for?” Khanbabai asked. “I am thankful that the courts have been ruling in favor of detained political prisoners, like Rumeysa.”
 


Where We Are Going Today: Magical Matcha

Where We Are Going Today: Magical Matcha
Updated 28 min 40 sec ago
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Where We Are Going Today: Magical Matcha

Where We Are Going Today: Magical Matcha

If you’re a matcha lover in Saudi Arabia, you’ve probably come across Magical Matcha — and yes, the name delivers. I recently tried their Magical Matcha Box, and let me just say: the entire experience felt like a pastel-hued, matcha-scented dream. 

From the moment you receive the lavender-colored box, you’re greeted with whimsical, themed packaging that makes it feel like you’ve ordered a little piece of magic. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to start your matcha ritual: a chasen (bamboo whisk), scoop spoon, and a 30g packet of ceremonial-grade matcha, plus a few adorable and very cute stickers.

Let’s talk taste. The matcha itself is stunning! smooth, vibrant, and earthy without any bitterness. I paired mine with vanilla oat milk, and it blended like a charm. The color is also worth mentioning: a rich, vivid green that makes every pour feel like a tiny moment of luxury. 

I also tried their vanilla matcha and and with a few drops of their Vanilla Potion and it was magically pleasing. Also tried their Salted Caramel Potion with the original matcha and couldn't believe how strythe flavor is, 2-3 drops are more than enough! both flavor syrups are delicious. They instantly elevated the drink with a subtle sweetness that didn’t overpower the matcha. Together with the dreamy packaging and tools, this became my favorite way to start the day.

Now for the honest part: the only downside is the quantity. While the quality is top-notch, 30g goes by fast, especially if you drink matcha daily. For the price, I was hoping for a little more product or perhaps a refill option within the same kit.

Still, if you’re new to matcha or looking for a beautiful giftable set, this one hits the mark. It’s Instagrammable, high-quality, and clearly made with care.

For more information, check their Instagram @magicalmatcha.sa. 


Trump says he’s OK with taxing the rich but warns of political fallout

Trump says he’s OK with taxing the rich but warns of political fallout
Updated 46 min 37 sec ago
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Trump says he’s OK with taxing the rich but warns of political fallout

Trump says he’s OK with taxing the rich but warns of political fallout
  • Trump suggests higher taxes on the wealthy
  • Taxing the rich gets boost from leading hard-line Republican

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was “OK” with raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, as his fellow Republicans consider scaling back the scope of the ambitious tax-cut package they aim to pass this year.
“Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform.
Speaking to reporters later at the White House, Trump gave a stronger endorsement.
“I would love to do it, frankly,” he said in the Oval Office. “What you’re doing is you’re giving up something up top in order to make people in the middle income and the lower income brackets save more. So it’s really a redistribution, and I’m willing to do it if they want.”
Trump, a wealthy businessman with properties all over the world, indicated he would be willing to pay more in taxes himself. “I would love to be able to give people in a lower bracket a big break by giving up some of what I have.”
The Senate’s top Republican, John Thune, said he was not enthusiastic about the idea. “We don’t want to raise taxes on anybody. I mean, we’re about lowering taxes on Americans,” he said on Fox News.
Trump’s message comes as US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson weighs whether to reduce the total tax package.
Johnson told some House Republicans on Thursday that he is now looking at $4 trillion in tax cuts, rather than an initial $4.5 trillion, according to a Republican aide.
Republicans are also fighting over spending cuts needed to pay for Trump’s “one big beautiful bill,” jeopardizing the goal of making all of the expiring provisions of his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.
Trump privately urged Johnson this week to raise the tax rate and close the carried-interest loophole for Wall Street investors, sources told Reuters on Thursday.
The Republican president suggested an increase to 39.6 percent from 37 percent for individuals earning $2.5 million or higher and joint filers earning at least $5 million, with carve-outs for small businesses, one source said.
“I don’t think they’re going to be doing it, but I actually think it’s good politics to do it,” Trump said.
Spending cuts to Medicaid and other programs are likely to fall short of a $2 trillion goal over a decade.
Johnson and other top Republicans have resisted the idea of raising taxes on the wealthy.
But Representative Andy Harris, who chairs the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, said a higher top tax bracket would help pay for the Trump agenda.
“Personally, I’ve always believed that if we can’t find spending reductions elsewhere, we should look at restoring the pre TCJA tax bracket on million dollar income,” the Maryland Republican wrote on X.
Trump views higher taxes on the rich as a way to help pay for massive middle and working-class tax cuts, and to protect Medicaid, the health care program for lower-income Americans.
But the president warned on Friday that Democrats would seize on “even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the ‘RICH,’” citing former Republican President George H.W. Bush, who lost his 1992 re-election bid after breaking his promise not to hike taxes.
Trump and Republican lawmakers have cited the potential extension of the 2017 tax cuts as relief for Americans and an economic boost amid Trump’s tariffs on imported goods.
They have vowed to enact the extension as part of a larger budget bill that would also fund border security, the deportation of undocumented immigrants, energy deregulation and a plus-up in military spending.


Rare bone-eroding disease ruining lives in Kenya’s poorest county

Rare bone-eroding disease ruining lives in Kenya’s poorest county
Updated 10 May 2025
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Rare bone-eroding disease ruining lives in Kenya’s poorest county

Rare bone-eroding disease ruining lives in Kenya’s poorest county

Joyce Lokonyi sits on an upturned bucket, fingers weaving palm fronds as the wind pulls her dress to expose the stump of her amputated foot, lost to a little-known disease ravaging Kenya’s poorest county.
Mycetoma is a fungal or bacterial infection that enters the body through any open wound, often as tiny as a thorn prick.
Starting as tiny bumps under the skin, it gradually leads to the erosion of tissue, muscles and bone.
The fungal variety is endemic across the so-called “mycetoma belt” — including Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and northern Kenya — with funding and research desperately lacking.
Once the disease has reached the bone the only option is amputation.
“I was able to slightly walk, although the disease had eaten all my toes,” Lokonyi, 28, told AFP.
She was shunned by the local community, she said.
“They used to say that when you go to someone’s home, you will leave traces of the disease where you stand.”
She was unable to afford medication despite her husband selling off his goats, and amputation became the only option.
“I accepted because I saw that it was going to kill me,” she said, a pair of battered crutches lying on the sand beside her two-year-old daughter.
But she has struggled with the aftermath.
“I have become a good-for-nothing, I can’t work, I can’t burn charcoal, I can’t do anything,” she said.
In Kenya’s poorest county, Turkana, around 70 percent of the population lives beneath the poverty line, with health care limited and hard to reach.
Mycetoma disproportionately affects rural communities of farmers and herders, according to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative , a global NGO.
It was only recognized as a neglected disease by the World Health Organization in 2016. Ignorance and misdiagnosis remain widespread.
“Doctors are not aware of the disease,” Borna Nyaoke-Anoke, DNDi’s head of mycetoma research, told AFP.
“If you’re used to donkeys, you don’t start seeing zebras everywhere.”
The scale of the problem is difficult to estimate, but Ekiru Kidalio, director of Lodwar Hospital in Turkana, said they “rarely go a week without finding a case.”
He added that the local population, 80 percent of which is illiterate, often turns to traditional medicine.
By the time they come to hospital “the condition is already advanced such that it’s not easy to reverse.”
Medication is also expensive — treatment takes up to a year and costs as much as $2,000 — and comes with dizzying side effects.
Diagnosis and treatment are not free under Kenya’s overwhelmed health system, leaving patients at the mercy of foreign donors or seeking sums that are unimaginable for subsistence farmers.
In Lodwar Hospital, lab technician John Ekai bends over his microscope and examines a suspected mycetoma sample.
“Mycetoma is a very neglected disease, no-one is giving it attention,” he told AFP.
He has become the go-to man for suspected patients, handling his charges with a mischievous sense of humor that puts them at ease.
Ekai has treated more than 100 mycetoma patients in the past year, but has seen only five recoveries, with many simply vanishing back into Turkana’s arid plains.
He worries for those who have disappeared: “The mycetoma will grow and grow and maybe... lead to amputation.”
During AFP’s visit, he examined young mother Jennifer Ekal, 19, who had lived with the disease since she was 11.
“I was in school but I decided to leave because of my foot,” she said, showing her swollen and painful extremity, hidden beneath a red-and-white dishcloth.
Four doses of medication a day appeared to be helping, she said.
But as she gathered up her daughter, three-year-old Bianca, she admitted she was worried about the future.
“I do not want to think about the worst.”


Hail’s ancient legacy of life and language etched in stone

Hail’s ancient legacy of life and language etched in stone
Updated 10 May 2025
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Hail’s ancient legacy of life and language etched in stone

Hail’s ancient legacy of life and language etched in stone
  • Thamudic scripts, petroglyphs carved into rock in Hail offers a glimpse of Arabian Peninsula’s civilizations thousands of years ago

MAKKAH: Carved into the rocks of Hail, across its mountains and plateaus, Thamudic inscriptions stand as enduring testaments to a civilization that flourished over thousands of years ago.

More than mere markings, these inscriptions form a visual archive that offers rich insights into the lives, beliefs, customs and language of ancient Arabs, preserving their names, expressions, and everyday experiences.

Mamdouh Al-Fadel, a researcher into the history of Hail and ancient Thamudic Arabic inscriptions, told Arab News that Thamudic script was one of the most important early forms of Arabic writing.

“These inscriptions offer detailed insights into both religious and social life. They preserve a vivid record of names and ancient Arabic vocabulary.

“And portray animals that inhabited the region at the time, such as camels, ibex, gazelles, lions, cheetahs, and ostriches, helping to paint a comprehensive picture of the desert environment and way of life during that period.”

The Thamudic scripts had been found across many regions, particularly in the north, including Hail, Tayma, Tabuk and AlUla.  (Supplied)

Al-Fadel said that among the most significant sites preserving these rock arts and inscriptions are Jabal Umm Sinman in the city of Jubbah, as well as the sites of Yatab, Janine Mountain, Al-Tuwal Mountain, Al-Julf, Habran, Al-Musma, and Arnan.

He said the rich vocabulary and the diversity of names found at these sites reflect the depth and complexity of social and cultural life during that era.

He highlighted the significant global impact of these discoveries, which have turned the inscription sites in Hail into important destinations for researchers and visitors from around the world.

Several of these locations, such as Jubbah, Jabal Al-Manjor, and Jabal Raat at Shuwaymis are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, reflecting their profound archeological significance and cultural value on the global stage.

Al-Fadel said the Ministry of Culture is preserving these ancient petroglyphs by documenting archeological sites, conducting regular inspections, and fostering continuous research and academic studies.

When asked about the most striking aspects of life portrayed in the inscriptions, Al-Fadel explained: “They reveal a wealth of information about religious rituals, diverse hunting techniques, and the tools used, such as bows and arrows, spears, and even boomerangs.

“The inscriptions also depict clever hunting strategies, festive occasions like wedding dances, methods of adapting to the desert environment, the domestication of animals, and scenes of horse and camel racing, all illustrated with remarkable realism and detail.”

The script encompasses thousands of inscriptions written in various ancient Arabic languages and dialects. (SUpplied

The Thamudic inscriptions in Hail stand as timeless historical treasures that transport us to the far reaches of antiquity, placing the Kingdom among the earliest cradles of human civilization.

Saad Al-Sharif, a researcher in ancient Arabic inscriptions, notes that the Thamudic script is among the oldest and most significant writing systems used in the Arabian Peninsula.

It has been found across many regions, particularly in the north, including Hail, Tayma, Tabuk and AlUla.

He said that the script is not directly attributed to the Thamud tribe, but scholars had adopted the term “Thamudic” as a convenient label to categorize it.

The script encompasses thousands of inscriptions written in various ancient Arabic languages and dialects.

Al-Sharif said Thamudic inscriptions are a vital source for understanding the linguistic evolution of Arabic, acting as a transitional link between ancient scripts such as Lihyanite and Nabataean and the modern Arabic script.

He underscored the importance of continued research and exploration in this field to deepen understanding of the Arabian Peninsula’s history.