Gulf allies’ Trump ties hand a hostile Congress subpoena targets

Washington’s key Gulf allies are expected to come under fire as Democrats use their new congressional majorities to investigate US President Donald Trump’s final two years in office.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar could all be dragged into congressional investigations over allegations that Trump, his family and influential members of his administration abused their positions to enrich themselves in return for political favours, according to observers.

Democrats, who won control of the House and the Senate in last week’s midterm elections, have “made it clear” that their inquiries would “focus on business arrangements as a way of following up on voter concerns about corruption”, said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.