Overview
- President Donald Trump hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with military pageantry, a black-tie White House dinner, and a high-profile investment forum.
- Trump designated Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally and announced plans to sell F-35 jets and other weapons, steps that now face congressional and security reviews.
- Officials and analysts flagged risks to Israel’s qualitative military edge and potential exposure of advanced U.S. technology to rivals such as China.
- Saudi officials touted large U.S. investment pledges reported as high as $1 trillion, while tech and finance leaders courted AI and semiconductor partnerships, including reported approvals to export large batches of Nvidia chips to Saudi and Emirati state entities.
- In an Oval Office exchange, Trump defended MBS over the 2018 Jamal Khashoggi killing despite the CIA’s assessment of the crown prince’s involvement, drawing sharp criticism from journalists, rights groups, and commentators.