President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House on Tuesday with a lavish ceremony that signalled the strength of the relationship between Washington and Riyadh. The greeting on the South Lawn featured an honour guard on horseback, a military band and a flyover by US aircraft, all designed to convey the importance the administration places on ties with the kingdom.
The warmth between the two leaders was unmistakable. Trump has long spoken fondly of the crown prince and reiterated that sentiment as he hailed him as a friend he had known for many years and as an extremely respected individual. Their personal rapport, often described as a kind of political camaraderie, was on full view, with Trump using enthusiastic gestures and remarks that contrasted sharply with his criticism of former president Joe Biden’s more reserved fist bump with MBS during a past visit.
The meeting produced substantial developments on security and defence. Trump confirmed that he had approved the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The decision followed months of discussion and came despite concerns from Israel about preserving its qualitative military advantage in the region. Trump brushed aside such worries and insisted that both Saudi Arabia and Israel should have access to top-tier equipment. He stated that Israel was aware of the decision and would be satisfied with the outcome. The agreement marked one of the most significant shifts in regional military policy in years. US officials have previously been cautious about exporting highly sensitive technology to Saudi Arabia due to Riyadh’s growing ties with Beijing; yet, Trump pushed forward and framed the deal as part of a broader strategic partnership.
Both sides spoke of progress toward a mutual defence pact. Trump suggested they had all but completed negotiations for making Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally. The pact would significantly deepen military cooperation and formalise joint security commitments. Discussions also included plans for a civilian nuclear arrangement that would allow Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear energy projects under US oversight. Internal opposition within parts of the US government had previously slowed the pace of such talks, but the White House signalled that it intends to advance them.
The economic element of the visit was as ambitious as the military component. Mohammed bin Salman announced that Saudi investment in the United States would increase to a trillion dollars, up from an already enormous six hundred billion dollar commitment. He said the money would flow into sectors such as artificial intelligence, rare materials, magnet technology and advanced manufacturing, including the purchase of jet engines. The administration welcomed the pledge and highlighted its potential to create American jobs. Negotiations have also accelerated over the possible export of Nvidia chips to Saudi Arabia for the kingdom’s large-scale investment in AI development.
The trillion-dollar figure prompted scepticism. Reporters noted that the amount nearly matches the entire value of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and questioned whether the kingdom could afford to divert such a sum abroad. Oil prices have hovered near sixty-five dollars per barrel, far below the level analysts estimate is required for Saudi Arabia to balance its domestic budget. Mohammed bin Salman defended the pledge and argued that Saudi Arabia’s heavy demand for semiconductors alone could account for a significant share of the investment. He stated that the kingdom was not creating artificial opportunities merely to impress the United States or flatter the administration.
Diplomacy in the Middle East also featured prominently in the talks. Trump hoped to move Saudi Arabia closer to formally joining the Abraham Accords, the series of agreements normalising relations between Israel and several Arab states. Yet the crown prince reiterated that the kingdom would only join if there were a clear and credible path to a two-state solution for the Palestinians. He repeated this position in their private discussions. Trump said they held constructive conversations about different possible political arrangements, noting that they talked about one state and two states without detailing what conclusions they reached. The two leaders also discussed Iran. Trump shifted between recounting earlier US actions against Iranian nuclear sites and expressing openness to a fresh diplomatic settlement. Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia would support such an effort.
Human rights concerns, particularly the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, resurfaced during the visit. Trump strongly defended the crown prince when pressed by a reporter. He dismissed the question, described Khashoggi as extremely controversial and insisted that Mohammed bin Salman had no prior knowledge of the killing. The president went on to praise what he called the crown prince’s remarkable progress on human rights and criticised the journalist for posing what he saw as a disrespectful question. The crown prince responded more cautiously. He said the murder was painful and a serious mistake and maintained that the Saudi government had taken steps to address it.
The day concluded with a grand dinner at the White House attended by more than 140 guests. Among them were Elon Musk, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, Apple chief Tim Cook and several media and sports figures. Trump used the event to highlight his plans for a new ballroom at the White House, which he said was necessary for occasions of such scale. Although the dinner was not formally a state occasion, it served as the first major ceremonial event of Trump’s second term to honour a foreign leader.
The scale of the ceremony and the president’s warm praise for Mohammed bin Salman highlighted the administration’s determination to foreground economic and commercial ties and to treat Saudi Arabia as an indispensable partner in both security and investment. The White House regards the kingdom as vital to stability in a volatile Middle East and as a growing force in global markets. Trump reminded his guests that an extremely respected man was in the Oval Office. He ended the evening with a flourish, saying to MBS, “I want to just tell you what an honour it is to be your friend.”
