Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner traveled to Saudi Arabia to “reassure Gulf nations on their holdings of Treasury bills.” In an ‘Alice-in-Wonderland’ moment of reversed roles and expectations, Mr. Geithner said the U.S. will defend the dollar and, by extension, the integrity of investors who are helping underwrite U.S. debt, which now totals a whopping $11 trillion. His stop in Jeddah underscores the ever-expanding influence of the greater Middle East market as both a U.S. creditor and consumer of goods and services. Mr. Geithner reaffirmed America’s commitment in “keeping its economy open to foreign investment” while expanding international trade in the region. Clearly, this is encouraging news for Connecticut companies seeking entry into the greater Middle East market of over 500 million consumers. (See full article in Financial Times)

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