Overview
- President Trump hosted a state-style welcome for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that featured an honor guard, a fighter jet flyover, a black-tie dinner and a U.S.–Saudi investment forum.
- Saudi Arabia was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally as the White House touted a Strategic Defense Agreement and announced plans for F-35 and other weapons sales that must clear congressional review and protect Israel’s qualitative military edge.
- The administration approved large exports of Nvidia AI chips to Saudi and Emirati state entities, and MBS met U.S. tech leaders to discuss data centers and broader technology cooperation.
- Saudi officials pledged up to roughly $1 trillion in U.S. investments, though analysts questioned the scale, timing and feasibility given fiscal pressures and past overpromises.
- Trump defended MBS over the 2018 Jamal Khashoggi murder, saying the crown prince “knew nothing” and that “things happen,” drawing sharp criticism from press freedom and human rights advocates.