On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the White House for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. This marks Salman’s first visit to the White House in seven years. Trump received the crown prince — widely regarded as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler — with a near–state-visit level of ceremony, signaling a significant warming of U.S.–Saudi relations.
On Tuesday morning, Salman’s motorcade arrived at the South Lawn of the White House escorted by the U.S. Army Cavalry Honor Guard. A military band performed, and Trump personally greeted the crown prince on the red carpet, with dozens of U.S. soldiers in formation and a formation of military aircraft flying over the White House.
During their meeting in the Oval Office, Trump told Salman: “It’s an honor to be your friend, and it’s an honor to have you here.”
During the talks, Salman announced that Saudi Arabia would raise its planned investment in the U.S. economy from the previous $600 billion to nearly $1 trillion.
He said: “Today and tomorrow, we will announce an increase of that $600 billion to nearly $1 trillion in investment — real investment and real opportunities in many sectors.”
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Trump praised the announcement, saying: “I’m very thankful. That’s fantastic. We’re creating numbers never seen before. Fairly speaking, if you didn’t see the potential of the United States, you wouldn’t be doing this.”
Salman replied, “Of course.” Trump joked: “You don’t want to lose money.”
Trump initially mentioned that Saudi Arabia would invest at least $600 billion, but the crown prince immediately confirmed the higher figure. Trump said the funds would flow into American factories, companies, and Wall Street, stressing that the significance lies in “creating a tremendous number of jobs.”
Saudi Arabia: Willing to join the Abraham Accords — but only with a path to a ‘two-state solution’
During the meeting, bin Salman also said Saudi Arabia “wants to join the Abraham Accords,” but emphasized that a clear path toward a “two-state solution” must come first.
He said he had earlier had “a very healthy discussion” with Trump on the issue, adding: “We will work on it to make sure we are ready for the right situation as soon as possible.”
Trump also said they had a “very good” conversation about the Abraham Accords and that Salman “feels very good” about the agreement.
Salman said: “We want peace for the Israelis, and we want peace for the Palestinians. We want them to coexist peacefully in the region.”
Trump further stated that Saudi Arabia would purchase U.S. F-35 fighter jets. He said: “They will purchase F-35s. They are buying them from Lockheed Martin. It’s an excellent aircraft. The military equipment we produce is the best.”
On Monday, Trump had said the U.S. would sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia had previously requested to buy 48 of these advanced jets. If the arms sale goes through, Saudi Arabia would become the first Arab country to join the F-35 program.
By Gao Yun
