Mr Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections seems to have come as a surprise to many across the globe, but I believe people in the United States voted for a change of guard at the White House.
As someone who closely watches global politics and economics, I knew from the very beginning, that the chances of a non-Democrat president are brighter than a continuity of the legacy of Mr Barack Obama in the US. This is because Americans love change and that is in their culture.
In Mrs Hillary Clinton, perhaps, they will have seen a continuity of Mr Obama’s regime, which they rejected in the November 8 polls in one of the world’s oldest democracies.
There is hardly any doubt that the recent US presidential campaign was one of the most vitriolic in the recent history. It was punctuated by scandals and some of the most personal attacks ever seen in a presidential campaign.
That said, a good number of Americans are not overly concerned about these vitriolic or scandals. Many of them are not greatly worried about foreign affairs as well. At the end of the day, they are only bothered about their national economy – its peaks and troughs. For, they know these can significantly impact their livelihood and future prospects.
So, obviously, during an election they gauge the fact that who at the Oval Office could provide them with better economic prospects and a brighter future. Many Americans seemed to have found in Donald Trump, someone who can fit the bill.
They believed in him as a successful businessman and think that he can change the American economic landscape for the better.
I personally think that if Mr Trump focuses on what he has promised to the American people, especially in relation to domestic issues such as rebuilding the infrastructure – airports, roads and bridges etc –  he will be a successful president and he can leave behind an inspiring legacy.
I believe Mr Trump will choose a path of partnerships as he sets out to rebuild his country’s economy. In that context, I think he will pursue and build on American’s existing closer relationship with the GCC countries.
A strong economy also needs to be stronger militarily. These are inter-linked, and hence should go together. This is very essential to have influence, regardless of the size of one’s economy.
I don’t subscribe to the view that United States will immediately withdraw from many of its cross-border international trade pacts including NAFTA. It cannot be done in a few weeks, months or years. It takes a long time.
Mr Trump the campaigner will certainly have to be different from Mr Trump the president of the world’s largest economy.
I believe Mr Trump, the man who created a successful business empire, will know how to gain the confidence of the people and take them along!