Which presidential candidate would win the support of GCC businesses?

Away from the headline-grabbing sound bites and personal feuds, there is a serious business angle to the United States presidential race that the Gulf Cooperation Council needs to pay attention to.

Trade between the United States and the region has been on the up and up for years now, buoyed by good relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in particular.

According to the United States Census Bureau, trade in goods with the UAE hit almost $23bn in 2015, up from $22.1bn the year before. Trade in goods with Saudi Arabia hit $19.7 in 2015, up from $18.7bn in 2014.

Last year, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority revealed that the total volume of trade between Saudi Arabia and the US in 2014 was $62bn.

More than 1,000 American firms have a presence in the emirates, while high-value trade between the two countries is thriving. Emirati companies Taqa Global, Mubadala and Emirates Airlines, and US companies General Electric, Boeing and The Carlyle Group are all benefitting from the strong relationship.

Trade channels are clearly wide open, helped no doubt by US President Barack Obama and his administration’s trips to the region, as well as royal visits to the White House by His Highness King Salman and others.

But with Obama leaving the top job in November, the US is preparing itself for a new era. And so should the Gulf.

Whoever wins the election, their focus in the Middle East will be centred on security and oil. The issues of terrorism and ISIL have dominated televised debates and each candidate’s campaign. But how should Gulf businesses view each candidate's prospects?

With other topics dominating the agenda, very little has been said about Middle Eastern trade by the leading runners; Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and Republicans Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.