Two days after claiming India-Pakistan Ceasefire, Donald Trump meets Mukesh Ambani in Doha

Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani met former U.S. President Donald Trump at a state dinner hosted by Qatar in Trump's honour at Lusail Palace on Wednesday. This marks the second time the two have met since Trump returned to the U.S. presidency in January 2025, according to a PTI report.

Several photos and videos of Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, greeting Trump and the Emir of Qatar have gone viral online.

While no formal business discussions were scheduled, Ambani's presence at the high-profile diplomatic event underscores his longstanding relationship with the Trump family. It also highlights the strategic importance of Reliance Industries' business interests in the United States.

About Reliance Industries

Reliance Industries operates across sectors including digital services, oil, gas, and retail, and maintains several commercial ties that are influenced by U.S. policy decisions. Last year, the company received waivers from the U.S. government to import crude oil from Venezuela. However, this arrangement was suspended in March after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on countries purchasing Venezuelan oil. Reliance also exports refined petroleum products to the U.S. and collaborates with American tech giants such as Google and Meta.

Meanwhile, President Trump arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday after his visit to Qatar, as part of the final leg of his Middle East tour. He was welcomed by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Qasr Al Watan, the UAE's presidential palace, where he was greeted with a traditional Al-Ayyala performance—a cultural art form from the UAE and Oman involving rhythmic drumming and women tossing their hair side to side in unison.

A video shared by the White House on X (formerly Twitter) shows Trump being led through a formation of women dramatically flipping their hair in sync with drums and chants. The U.S. President appears to watch the performance blankly, while several men wave sword-like props in the background.

In Saudi Arabia earlier during the trip, Trump's arrival on Air Force One was accompanied by a six-fighter jet escort. In Qatar, his motorcade was greeted by a ceremonial welcome that included dozens of camels.

According to the New York Post, Trump has secured over $1 trillion in economic investment commitments from Gulf nations during this visit.

Donald Trump tells Apple he 'does not want' iPhone maker to manufacture in India

On the business front, Donald Trump made headlines by commenting on Apple's global operations. He revealed that he had urged Apple CEO Tim Cook not to expand manufacturing in India—unless the production was intended solely for the Indian market. Trump also claimed that India had "offered to drop all tariffs" on U.S. imports.

"I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. I said, 'Tim, you're my friend. I've treated you very well. You're coming here with a $500 billion announcement, and now I hear you're building all over India. I don't want you building in India unless it's to serve India. India is one of the highest-tariff nations in the world. We put up with all the plants you built in China for years. We're not interested in you doing that in India either. India can take care of itself," Trump said during a meeting with business leaders from the U.S. and Qatar.

A senior official later clarified that Apple had communicated to the Indian government that there were no changes to its investment plans in India, which remains a key market for the company's manufacturing expansion.

The company is expected to manufacture the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. during the June quarter at its facilities in India. Apple aims to shift up to 25% of its total iPhone production to India over the next few years, as part of a gradual diversification strategy away from China, which has long served as the central hub of the company's manufacturing operations.