Personal ties, backhanders, and flattery have largely replaced formal diplomacy in the Middle East during the second term of the Trump administration, according to an analysis published by The New Arab. The shift toward a personalist style of foreign policy—described by scholars as “neo-royalism”—bypasses traditional institutions like the State Department and the National Security Council, placing high-stakes international negotiations in the hands of presidential family members, loyalists, and real estate professionals.
The Rise of Neo-Royalism in US Foreign Policy
The Trump administration treats international affairs not as relations between sovereign governments, but as interactions within a closed circuit of leaders and their inner circles. According to reports from The New Arab, this personalized approach abandons decades of institutional norms. The National Security Council has been reduced to a few dozen personnel with little influence on policy, while the State Department operates largely as a spokesperson for decisions made elsewhere.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, triple-hatted since 2025 as national security adviser, secretary of state, and administrator of the remnants of USAID, appears more focused on a potential 2028 presidential run than managing diplomacy. Meanwhile, the U.S. Agency for International Development, once a core instrument of American soft power, has been effectively dismantled, according to the same reports.
Family Connections and Financial Entanglements
High-level diplomacy in the region now frequently intersects with private financial interests. Special Envoy to the Middle East, yet his son reportedly leveraged personal connections to secure billions of dollars in investments from Gulf states. Similarly, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and informal advisor, founded the investment fund Affinity Partners, where overseas investors—including entities from Saudi Arabia—account for 99 percent of its $6.16 billion under management. Kushner also participated in delicate regional negotiations concerning Gaza.
Did you know? According to reports detailed by The New Arab, UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed acquired a 49-percent stake in World Liberty Financial—co-founded by members of the Trump and Witkoff families—for $500 million. This transaction raised questions of a quid pro quo when the administration subsequently permitted Abu Dhabi to access advanced U.S.-made artificial intelligence chips.
Real Estate Diplomacy and the “Board of Peace”
Real estate professionals currently wield more diplomatic influence than career foreign service officers. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have led key negotiations, though critics note they bring limited experience to complex geopolitical conflicts. A failed ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States left out vital details, enabling a rapid resumption of hostilities after the Iran war began in February 2026 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on nuclear and military targets.
In Gaza, a ceasefire agreement negotiated by Witkoff and Kushner remains active on paper, yet it has failed to halt Israeli military attacks that have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, according to source reporting. Promised humanitarian aid and reconstruction have not materialized. Instead, figures tied to a distant “Board of Peace”—chaired by the U.S. president, where permanent seats are reportedly available for a billion dollars—continue promoting a redevelopment concept known as the “Gaza Riviera,” treating ordinary civilian lives as commodities rather than sovereign citizens.
Global Fallout and the End of the Post-WWII Order
This transactional style of governance extends far beyond the Middle East. Threats to seize Greenland, erratic tariff applications affecting close allies, and unilateral military interventions like the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro underscore the unpredictable nature of one-man rule over foreign policy. Legal experts and scholars point out that this framework abandons international law, human rights, and multilateral institutions that helped maintain a fragile global peace for roughly seven decades following World War Two.
Without Washington acting as a guarantor of a stable world order, regional actors are increasingly forging independent economic, diplomatic, and military alliances. Analysts warn this scramble will likely exacerbate existing Middle Eastern conflicts and ignite new regional tensions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads Middle East diplomacy for the Trump administration?
Special Envoy, and Jared Kushner lead key diplomatic initiatives rather than traditional State Department officials.
What is “neo-royalism” in foreign policy?
Scholar-described neo-royalism refers to a personalist style of diplomacy where international relations are handled through a closed network of family members, loyalists, and wealthy patrons rather than through formal government institutions and international law.
How have U.S. foreign policy institutions changed?
The National Security Council has been reduced to a small group with minimal policy influence, the State Department functions primarily as a messaging apparatus, and USAID has been largely destroyed, according to published reports.
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