Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, received one of the most lavish welcomes given to a foreign leader at the White House this year during his first trip to the United States in seven years.
Significant policy decisions that could alter Middle Eastern geopolitics and US-Saudi ties were made during the meeting with President Donald Trump on November 18.
With an Army mounted honor guard, a military flyover of six aircraft, and cannon salutes on the White House South Lawn, the Saudi leader was treated like a head of state.
Before entering the Oval Office, Trump took his visitor for a stroll along the recently established "Presidential Walk of Fame" outside the West Wing.
Trump declared, "We have an extremely respected man in the Oval Office today, and a friend of mine for a long time," at the opening ceremony.
Military and Diplomatic Advancements: F-35 and Abraham Accords. The crown prince expressed Saudi Arabia's readiness to sign the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and a number of Arab countries, inside the Oval Office. The Middle Eastern leader clarified that this would be contingent to the advancement of Palestinian statehood.
"We want to be part of the accord, but we also want to be sure that we secure a clear path of a two state solution," added the crown prince. "We want them to coexist peacefully in the region, and we will do our best to reach a deal."
Trump revealed intentions to sell Saudi Arabia cutting-edge F-35 stealth fighter jets, removing Israel's exclusive access to the aircraft in the region a potentially big change.
Although the US has always maintained a policy commitment to Israel's "qualitative military edge" over regional neighbours, the decision could change the Middle East's military balance.
With an emphasis on cutting edge manufacturing, data centers, artificial intelligence, and future technologies, the crown prince revealed ambitions to boost Saudi investment in the US from USD 600 billion to around USD 1 trillion.
The crown prince told reporters in the Oval Office, "Today and tomorrow, we are going to announce that we are going to increase that $600 billion to almost $1 trillion of investment, real investment and real opportunity in many areas."
The commitment supports Saudi Arabia's attempts to diversify its economy away from oil earnings. Trump stated that sales of cutting-edge semiconductor technologies to the kingdom are also being considered by his government.
Technology entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, as well as Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo, attended a black tie dinner in the East Room hosted by US President and First Lady Melania Trump.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance were among the high ranking officials present. Additionally, Trump declared that he will classify Saudi Arabia as a major non NATO ally, which would allow for greater access to American defense weapons and closer military collaboration.
The president stated, "A stronger and more capable alliance will advance the interests of both countries, and it will serve the highest interests of peace," at a state banquet.
The crown prince described the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as "painful" and "a huge mistake," but he insisted that his government had conducted a thorough investigation and put reforms in place.
Trump stepped in and said the question was rude to his visitor. "Things happen," the president stated. However, the crown prince was unaware of it. We can end it there.
In response to persistent worries regarding Saudi Arabia's involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks, the crown prince implied that intelligence assessments were meant to harm bilateral ties.
He emphasized that improving relations between the two countries was "critical for the safety of the world" and "critical against extremism and terrorism."
The visit represents a significant change in US-Saudi relations, with military and commercial cooperation now taking precedence over human rights issues that caused tensions between the two countries during earlier administrations.
Significant policy changes that could have a significant impact on regional security dynamics include the possible sale of the F-35 and the designation of a key non NATO partner.
Given the prerequisite of Palestinian statehood, it is unclear whether the crown prince's conditional interest in the Abraham Accords will result in official normalization with Israel.
According to analysts, the arms sales might lessen American influence in promoting this kind of normalization. Despite their importance, the enormous investment commitments will need to be closely watched to see how much comes to pass and when.
