Fire and (Lots of) Money: Trump's Saudi Deals and a 'Chance at Greatness' for Syria?

Winter is Coming... With a $600 Billion Price Tag?

My loyal subjects your Khaleesi brings tidings from across the Narrow Sea tidings wrapped in silken robes and dripping with…oil? It seems that the former leader of this land Donald of the House Trump has forged a mighty alliance with the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A kingdom I might add that boasts more sand than the Dothraki Sea! They've pledged a staggering $600 billion in investments! It appears that money does grow on trees... or at least gushes from oil wells.

Dragons and Defense Deals: A Match Made in…Riyadh?

But the real dragonfire comes in the form of a near $142 billion defense deal. Yes you heard right! Enough 'state of the art warfighting equipment' to make even the Unsullied blush. Seems Donald believes in 'fire and blood,' just in a slightly different context than I do. Perhaps he thinks arming one kingdom is the best way to bring peace? I have seen that before and it never ends well. It appears the winds of winter are blowing over these deals.

Sanctions Lifted: A 'Chance at Greatness' or a Fool's Hope?

And now for the most curious turn of events. Donald has declared the removal of all U.S. sanctions against Syria offering them a 'chance at greatness.' A 'chance at greatness,' he says! After all that has passed after the fires that have raged and the sorrows that have bled the land can greatness truly be gifted? I know about rebuilding but I doubt those words ring true. Perhaps this 'greatness' is just another illusion.

A Trillion Dollar Dream: More Ambitious Than My Conquest of Meereen?

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a man with ambitions as vast as the Seven Kingdoms speaks of raising the U.S. Saudi partnership to a staggering $1 trillion. My quest for the Iron Throne seems almost modest in comparison! But even the most seasoned Khal knows that promises are like the wind – easily spoken but rarely kept. Can Saudi Arabia truly fulfill such a monumental pledge? After all a promise is a promise but only a fool trusts another person's words.

AI and Oil: The New Power Couple?

Intriguingly much of this investment seems aimed at the realm of Artificial Intelligence. DataVolt a Saudi digital infrastructure business plans to pour a cool $20 billion into AI data centers within the U.S. From dragons to algorithms – how the world changes! I can picture them now robots marching through the Seven Kingdoms wielding the power of knowledge. Is this what 'breaking the wheel' truly means?

Vision 2030: More Like Wishful Thinking?

Of course some whispering ravens (or 'economists,' as they are now called) suggest that Saudi Arabia faces its own financial dragons. With grand visions of their own under the banner of 'Vision 2030' which seems as real as the three eyed raven coupled with lower oil prices they may find it difficult to uphold these commitments. Only time will tell if this partnership will soar like Drogon or crash and burn like a Targaryen rebellion.