Bangladesh, May 22 -- In the ornate halls of Riyadh last week, amid a convergence of global business and political elites, President Donald Trump made headlines not merely for his presence, but for a forceful critique of American foreign policy and a radical shift in approach to the Middle East. “In the end, the so-called nation-builders wrecked far more nations than they built,” Trump declared, to a room that soon erupted in applause. In a region long plagued by external interventions and ideological fault lines, Trumps message – however politically charged – struck a chord with regional stakeholders hoping for a reorientation of priorities.

More than just a rhetorical maneuver, Trumps speech and associated diplo...