WASHINGTON: White House senior adviser Jared Kushner will lead a US delegation on a tour of the Middle East to finalize details of his proposed $50 billion economic development plan for the Palestinians, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, an administration official said on Sunday.
Kushner, Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, State Department official Brian Hook and Kushner aide Avi Berkowitz are expected to make make stops in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the official said.
They leave late this month and return to Washington in early August.
The official said the purpose of the trip is to “continue on the momentum that was created at the workshop in Bahrain and finalize the economic portion of the plan.”
They will also discuss the possibility of locating the development fund in Bahrain, the official said.
Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and the plan’s main architect, sought to build support for his ambitious economic proposals for the Palestinian territories at an international meeting in Bahrain in June.
Palestinians poured scorn on the Trump administration’s $50 billion investment plan to help achieve Middle East peace, but US Gulf Arab allies said the economic initiative had promise if a political settlement is reached.
Kushner and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week discussed creation of the fund with World Bank President David Malpass, the official said. The World Bank has a role in managing the fund.
The delegation was not expected to discuss Trump’s long-awaited political plan for the Middle East, and when it will be released remains unclear.
White House’s Kushner to finalize Palestinian economic plan on Middle East tour
White House’s Kushner to finalize Palestinian economic plan on Middle East tour
- White House senior adviser Kushner will visit Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE
- Kushner and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week discussed creation of the fund with World Bank President David Malpass
Kuwait’s prime minister says progress being made on Kuwait-Saudi rail link
- The rail project, which will extend 650 km, is slated to start construction this year
DUBAI: Plans for a rail link between Kuwait City and Riyadh as part of the country’s ambitious reform agenda are progressing, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Al-Sabah said Kuwait aimed to become a regional logistical hub through projects such as the new Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, upgrades to the airport and new rail links.
“We have also signed contracts for feasibility studies and design for the railway project and made progress on the rail link between Kuwait and Riyadh,” he said.
“This integration of sea, air, and land transport forms a strategic logistics system that supports connectivity diversification and economic growth.”
The rail project, which will extend 650 km, is slated to start construction this year and is likely to form part of a larger Gulf Cooperation Council network.
In a wide-ranging speech, Al-Sabah said his country was rapidly reforming its fiscal policy to help modernize the country’s economy.
This includes the introduction of a Financing and Liquidity Law, which is intended to provide a structured legislative framework for managing financial obligations and public debt.
“These reforms have been directly reflected in increased confidence from international institutions,” said the prime minister.
“In November 2025, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Kuwait’s sovereign credit rating from A+ to AA-, with a stable outlook.”
