Key US allies in the Persian Gulf are reportedly dreading a barrage of congressional investigations into alleged corruption involving President Donald Trump, his administration, and his family, as Democrats prepare to scrutinize financial ties between the White House and wealthy monarchies in West Asia.

Democrats, who won control of both the House and Senate in the recent midterm elections, intend to focus their inquiries on business arrangements as part of a broader effort to address voter concerns about corruption.

Democratic lawmakers have already warned Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar about the expected inquiries, which could examine real estate deals, financial investments and other transactions involving the Trump family and Persian Gulf states, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

According to the report, the investigations are expected to focus on whether financial dealings and gifts from the three Arab states were linked to policy decisions by the Trump administration.

Democrats have also warned Persian Gulf governments that refusing to cooperate with congressional inquiries could jeopardize their relationships with Washington.

However, diplomats and officials familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are unlikely to provide lawmakers with sensitive information, including private communications.

The anticipated investigations could put further strain on Washington’s relations with three of its most important regional partners, particularly as the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran continues to affect the Persian Gulf and regional security arrangements.

The report highlighted several financial ties between Persian Gulf governments and Trump-linked business ventures that are likely to attract congressional scrutiny.

One of the most prominent cases involves a $500 million investment by an entity connected to senior Emirati royal family member Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company founded by Trump’s three sons and Zach Witkoff, the son of US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

“This is corruption, plain and simple,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said at the time, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia’s financial dealings with Trump-linked businesses are also expected to come under scrutiny.

The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund invested $2 billion in Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, in 2021.

The Trump family has also expanded its real estate interests in Saudi Arabia since Trump returned to the White House, with projects including a Trump tower and a $1 billion Trump plaza in Jeddah, as well as luxury residential developments in Riyadh.

A nuclear cooperation agreement between Washington and Riyadh is another potential focus of the investigations. The deal, signed in July, gave Saudi Arabia a pathway to developing nuclear power plants using US technology and was expected to face congressional scrutiny over provisions concerning nuclear fuel enrichment.

Qatar’s reported gift of a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft, valued at around $400 million, to the Trump administration is also expected to face scrutiny. Democratic lawmakers previously questioned the transaction and introduced legislation to block arms sales to Doha over concerns surrounding the gift.

Senator Chris Murphy, who visited the Persian Gulf in October, said he had raised concerns about corruption with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

“Our foreign policy has been corrupted,” Murphy said at an event in Washington after returning from the region, according to the report.

He said he had delivered a warning to the two governments against expanding their financial ties with Trump-linked businesses.

Although congressional subpoena powers do not extend to foreign governments, Democrats could use their authority over arms sales and security assistance to pressure Persian Gulf states, the Post reported, citing congressional aides.

Lawmakers could become less willing to maintain close security partnerships with governments they believe are involved in influencing US political and policy decisions through financial dealings, one Democratic congressional aide told the newspaper.

Allison Minor, who served as director for Arabian Peninsula affairs at the National Security Council during Trump's first administration, said the inquiries could further strain what was already expected to be an increasingly difficult relationship.

“I think that (Persian) Gulf countries have an uphill battle with Democrats,” Minor said, warning that Democrats “have a lot of muscle memory and pent-up frustration.”

Polls conducted around the midterm elections identified corruption as a major concern among US voters, prompting senior Democrats to pledge investigations into allegations of misconduct by the Trump administration when they take control of Congress in January.

The prospect of scrutiny is particularly significant given Trump's financial disclosures, which showed that his businesses generated about $2 billion in income in 2025, triple the amount reported the previous year.