Master of hyperbole when it comes to his own merits, Donald Trump also practiced this exercise for his hosts during his tour of the Gulf. His taste for marble and gilding was satisfied in the Saudi, Qatari and Emirati palaces. The towering skyscrapers, the lavish architectural projects – all of this defines a country's success, modernity and wealth, according to Trump. "Before our eyes, a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts of tired divisions of the past and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos," Trump said, "Where it exports technology, not terrorism, and we’re people of different nations, religions and creeds are building cities together, not bombing each other out of existence."

This part from the speech delivered by the US president in Riyadh on May 13 was polished. It was followed by remarks on the meaning the White House wanted to give to this tour, beyond the flood of orders and partnerships. "The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called 'nation-builders,' 'neocons,' or 'liberal non-profits,' like those who spent trillions failing to develop Kabul and Baghdad, so many other cities," said the president. "In the end, the so-called 'nation-builders' wrecked far more nations than they built — and the interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves."

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