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Donald Trump praised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s commitment to invest nearly $1 trillion in the U.S. during their White House meeting on Tuesday, amid a warm welcome for the Saudi leader. The president showcased his strong alliance with MBS, orchestrating a display that included horseback soldiers and a military flyby featuring F-35 jets, which Trump indicated Washington plans to sell to Riyadh soon.
The meeting began with Trump commending the prince’s “incredible” human rights record, before MBS surprised Trump by announcing an escalation of the Saudi investment pledge from $600 billion to close to $1 trillion. “We’re going to boost that $600 billion to nearly a trillion in investments,” said Prince Mohammed in the Oval Office, with Trump eager to confirm the figure, to which MBS responded with a confident “Definitely.”
Trump rolled out an elaborate welcome, treating MBS as if he were visiting as a head of state. The Crown Prince was greeted on the South Lawn with cannon fire and observed an active flypast by US military aircraft. Trump then took MBS to a new gallery of presidential portraits in the Rose Garden, including one depicting his predecessor Joe Biden as a robotic signature machine, reflecting Trump’s ongoing criticism of Biden’s handling of official documents and pardons.
Later, First Lady Melania Trump hosted a gala dinner that saw participation from Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays in Saudi Arabia, according to a White House official. Trump’s focus remains on strengthening ties with the Gulf kingdom, especially amid efforts to turn the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas into a sustained regional peace. He urged MBS to pursue normalization with Israel within the framework of the Abraham Accords first launched during his presidency, with MBS signaling an intent to do so “as soon as possible,” provided a clear path to a two-state solution for Palestinians is established.
Trump reiterated his intention to proceed with selling Saudi Arabia F-35 stealth fighters, despite concerns expressed by Israel and warnings from U.S. officials about potential technological theft by China. In addition, a framework agreement concerning civilian nuclear cooperation is set to be signed, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. Over the years, MBS has cultivated a close relationship with Trump and his family, partly through significant investment commitments that have helped cement diplomatic ties.
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