WASHINGTON—Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said during his meeting with President Donald Trump on Nov. 18 that he will boost the investment partnership with the United States from $600 billion to $1 trillion.
The crown prince told reporters that an announcement would be made today and tomorrow regarding the new investment commitment. The investments will focus on what he described as “real opportunities” in areas such as artificial intelligence and magnets.
Trump welcomed the commitment from Saudi Arabia, saying, “I’m glad you got that out. I didn’t want to be the one to tell them, but that’s great news.”
Bin Salman responded, with a smile, "You keep increasing Mr. President, each time the opportunities are increasing more and more.”
Trump is hosting the crown prince at the White House, marking the crown prince’s first visit to the presidential residence in seven years.
Trump greeted the crown prince with a welcome ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House that included a flyover of six U.S. fighter jets—three F-35s and three F-15s.
Following the ceremony, the president walked the crown prince along the new “Presidential Walk of Fame” he created along the West Wing Colonnade.
The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues during their meetings in the Oval Office, which will be followed by a bilateral lunch in the Cabinet Room, according to the White House.
During a panel discussion with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Nov. 17, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney said buying F-35s may conflict with Riyadh’s long-term goal to develop a domestic defense industry.
Ratney said Saudi Arabia may be more interested in a long-term security partnership with the United States. He said Trump may offer a security pact via executive order, as he did with Qatar, but warned that such a pact—which falls short of a Senate-ratified treaty—could falter after Trump leaves office.
“I think at heart, what they want is something long-term and predictable,” Ratney said.
It is unclear whether Trump will condition the sale on Saudi Arabia’s willingness to join the Abraham Accords, normalization agreements first signed in 2020 between Israel and several Arab states.
Riyadh has publicly stated that normalization with Israel remains contingent on “concrete progress” toward establishing a Palestinian state, a condition Israel’s current government opposes.
In 2024, “U.S.–Saudi Arabia goods trade totaled $25.9 billion, with U.S. exports at $13.2 billion, imports at $12.7 billion, and a trade surplus in goods of $443 million,” the White House said in a fact sheet published in May.
The Saudi crown prince’s visit to Washington is his first trip since the 2018 killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
Riyadh denied any involvement by the crown prince, but the Saudi leader acknowledged responsibility as the kingdom's de facto ruler.