WASHINGTON: Feeling the pinch from President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies, the American metal industry has rallied its forces to plead for changes.
Employees from the Texas steel pipe producer Borusan Mannesmann Pipe sent some 4,500 post cards to Trump and members of Congress, on behalf of their employer in the Houston suburb of Baytown — which imports unfinished pipes from Turkey.
Trump in March slapped duties of 25 on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum, and at the start of June removed temporary exemptions for major producers Canada, Mexico and the European Union.
While Trump says the border taxes protect US national security and have breathed life into time-ravaged American producers, about 21,000 businesses have sought exemptions from the tariffs for foreign-made goods, arguing that the duties threaten their import-dependent bottom lines.
But three months after the first requests, the government has reviewed only 98, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in recent congressional testimony. Of these, just 42 were approved.
BMP CEO Joel Johnson was among the very first business leaders to seek product exemptions for the Houston pipe company. But when he got no response, he decided to make his case directly, along with thousands of others.
“We made an offer to President Trump and Secretary Ross which was very simple,” he said.
“We did a request for a two-year exemption of the tariffs to allow us to build a new factory in Baytown and at the end of these two years we will stop importing and we will be 100 percent US-made pipe.”
The proposition should appeal to Trump, given his “America first” agenda, said Johnson, adding that it would bring his workforce to 437 people from 267.
In Baytown, unemployment is two and a half times the national average at 10 percent, and Johnson warned the company will be forced to lay workers off if it faces an annual hit of $25 million to $35 million from the tariffs.
Republican Texas lawmaker Brian Babin made the same case to Ross last week.
Others are opting to play hardball.
The American Institute for International Steel, an industry body representing companies that depend on steel imports, sued the Trump administration last week before the US Court of International Trade in New York, challenging the legality of the steel tariffs.
The organization is calling on the courts to strike down the 1962 legal provision Trump used to impose the new duties, claiming it is unconstitutional.
Sometimes called the “national security clause,” Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 gives the US president extraordinary powers over foreign trade, a power the US Constitution generally confers on Congress.
“Section 232 allows the president to consider virtually any effect on the US economy as part of ‘national security,’” AIIS President Richard Chriss said in a statement.
The federation says many American business are suffering under the tariffs while ports and workers have seen a sharp decline in their businesses’ throughput.
So far, the Federal Reserve system’s regional manufacturing indices show general manufacturing activity remains quite healthy by historical standards.
But steel prices have risen sharply and fast. In October, a ton of hot-rolled steel coil went for $577, its lowest level in a year, Johnson said.
As of Friday, it was closing in on twice that at just under $917.
As the metal tariffs battle rages, a second set of Trump tariffs on Chinese goods is due to take effect July 6, while US businesses are being hit with retaliatory tariffs from Canada, Mexico, the EU and China.
The Trump administration also announced in late May it was considering using Section 232 to slap duties on the hundreds of billions in autos imported annually, a prospect economists say would make America’s trade wars far more serious.
US metal manufacturers mobilize against Trump tariffs
US metal manufacturers mobilize against Trump tariffs
- US President Donald Trump in March slapped duties of 25 on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum
- The American Institute for International Steel sued the Trump administration last week before the US Court of International Trade in Yew York
Airports in GCC are turning stopovers into tourism growth
- Governments and airport operators are turning aviation as a central pillar of tourism and economic strategy
CAIRO: Once defined by fleeting layovers and duty-free corridors, airports across the Gulf Cooperation Council are increasingly gateways to short-stay tourism, driving non-oil growth, hospitality revenues and job creation.
Across the region, governments, airlines and airport operators are treating aviation not merely as a transport sector but as a central pillar of tourism and economic strategy. Through streamlined visa regimes, airline-led stopover programs and sustained investment in airport infrastructure and technology, GCC countries are turning transit passengers into visitors.
“Across the GCC, destinations have shifted from functioning primarily as global transit hubs to positioning themselves as places travelers actively choose to visit, even for short stays during onward journeys,” Nicholas Nahas, partner at Arthur D. Little, told Arab News.
Airports in the Middle East are investing heavily in biometric processing systems, e-gates and digital border controls designed to shorten waiting times and improve passenger flow. These upgrades, backed by coordinated public-private initiatives, are narrowing the gap between arrival and exploration, making short stays viable even for passengers transiting for less than 48 hours.
Unified GCC visa
Two years after its initial proposal, the long-discussed unified GCC tourist visa is moving through final coordination stages, a development expected to further accelerate tourism spending linked to stopovers.
Looking ahead, the visa could allow the region to function as a single tourism corridor. Robert Coulson, executive adviser for real estate at Accenture, said the next phase is about regional continuity. “The next leap for the GCC is making the region feel like one seamless journey while differentiating each stop with a distinct identity,” he told Arab News.
First proposed in 2023 and approved in principle in 2024, the visa is designed to allow travel across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE under a single permit. Analysts say Saudi Arabia is positioned to be among the biggest beneficiaries, given its scale, expanding destination portfolio and growing aviation capacity.
The unified visa is expected to complement existing stopover initiatives by allowing travelers to combine short visits to Saudi Arabia with trips to Dubai or Doha, effectively turning the Gulf into a single multi-country itinerary rather than a series of isolated transit points.
Saudi aviation surge
Saudi Arabia’s aviation-driven tourism growth has accelerated rapidly. The Kingdom welcomed an estimated 122 million visitors in 2025, moving closer to its Vision 2030 target of attracting 150 million tourists annually.
“GCC travel hubs have stopped selling connections and started selling experiences,” Coulson said. “They’ve cracked the stopover-to-stayover model, turning a layover into a mini-holiday rather than dead time.”
In January, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said international destinations served from Saudi Arabia increased to 176 in 2025, while the Kingdom remained home to some of the world’s busiest air routes.
He credited this performance to the “unlimited support” of the Kingdom’s leadership, identifying aviation as a key enabler of Vision 2030 and broader economic diversification.
Saudi Arabia’s newest airline, Riyadh Air, is expected to contribute more than $20 billion to non-oil gross domestic product and create over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, underscoring aviation’s expanding economic footprint.
A key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s strategy has been the introduction of a digital stopover visa in 2023, allowing transit passengers to enter the Kingdom for up to 96 hours. The initiative enables short visits for Umrah, trips to Madinah or exploration of the country’s cultural and historical sites. The policy reflects a broader regional effort to turn time spent between flights into economic activity beyond the airport terminal, particularly in hospitality, transport and cultural tourism.
Short-stay shift
This evolution has been driven by global connectivity, simplified visa access and the ability to deliver high-quality experiences within a 24-to-72-hour window. The UAE, particularly Dubai, was the earliest and most established example of this transition, converting a growing share of its transit traffic into visitors through airline-led stopover packages, flexible visa categories and dense, short-stay-friendly attractions.
Dubai International Airport handles more than 85 million passengers annually. Curated stopover products combining hotel stays with cultural and entertainment experiences have helped transform transit traffic into leisure demand. Direct metro access and streamlined entry processes have further reduced friction. As a result, Dubai welcomed around 19 million international overnight visitors in 2025.
Other GCC destinations have since adopted similar models. Abu Dhabi expanded stopover offerings through its national carrier, promoting entertainment and cultural districts as compelling short-stay experiences. Qatar embedded stopover tourism into its national tourism strategy, converting transfer traffic at Hamad International Airport into city stays. Saudi Arabia expanded its tourism offering through its 96-hour digital visa linked to onward flights.
A smooth transit experience is often the deciding factor in whether passengers remain airside or choose to explore. Fast entry processes, intuitive airport design and reliable airport-to-city connectivity can turn even a six- to eight-hour layover into usable time rather than idle waiting.
Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in airport expansion, digital border processes and urban mobility projects designed to shorten the distance between arrival and experience. Airline stopover platforms, transport apps and airport-based destination messaging increasingly reduce uncertainty and enable spontaneous exploration.
Beyond transit traffic, Nahas said tourism growth across the GCC has been driven by integrated destination ecosystems. Successful destinations are designed end-to-end — from trip planning and arrival through accommodation, mobility, experiences and departure — requiring coordination across tourism authorities, airlines, airports, transport providers and experience operators.
Designing destinations
For developers shaping the region’s next phase of tourism growth, the focus has shifted toward creating destinations that capture travelers from the moment they arrive.
Sultan Moraished, group head of technology and corporate excellence at Red Sea Global, said next-generation destinations are being designed to resonate with global travelers beyond a flight connection.
“As we design and build next-generation destinations, our focus is always on creating experiences that resonate with global travelers from the moment they arrive to when they choose to explore beyond a flight connection,” he told Arab News.
Moraished said offering experiences travelers cannot find elsewhere, from cultural immersion to nature-based activities, creates compelling reasons to extend visits beyond simple transit. He added that collaboration across aviation, hospitality and destination authorities ensures that every part of the journey is aligned with a shared vision for tourism growth.
Looking ahead, Moraished said the intersection of innovation and hospitality will continue to open new pathways, from smart digital experiences to regenerative tourism practices that appeal to increasingly conscious travelers and encourage repeat visitation.
Experience economy
Airports have shifted from being standalone infrastructure assets to functioning as world-class distribution engines for cities and destinations. Investments in gateway airports have made them part of the destination brand promise.
Tourism operates as a continuous conversion funnel, Coulson said. Every step removed between the flight gate and the city increases the likelihood that travelers will leave the terminal and spend money locally. Fast connections, predictable baggage handling and clear wayfinding reduce perceived risk, while simplified transit visas make spontaneity possible.
A unified GCC tourist visa could unlock longer stays and multi-country itineraries, supported by investment in walkable districts, waterfronts and climate-smart design.
Taken together, the transformation of transit hubs into tourism powerhouses reflects a broader shift in how the Gulf approaches aviation-led growth. Airports are no longer just points of passage but economic gateways where short stopovers translate into tourism spending, jobs and long-term diversification.
