Trump Welcomes Saudi Crown Prince, Backs F-35 Sale as Riyadh Pledges Up to $1 Trillion in U.S. Investments

Overview

• Mohammed bin Salman received full honors at the White House in his first U.S. visit since 2018, signaling a public reset of relations.
• Trump said he will approve the Saudi purchase of up to 48 F-35s, a first for an Arab state, with any transfer still subject to congressional review and U.S. export-control rules tied to Israel’s qualitative military edge.
• A recent Defense Intelligence Agency assessment flagged risks that China could gain access to F-35 technology through Saudi ties, while pro-Israel advocates and some Republicans signaled resistance absent Saudi–Israel normalization.
• Riyadh expanded prior investment pledges from $600 billion to a stated goal of up to $1 trillion, alongside talks on U.S. AI infrastructure, civil nuclear cooperation and a possible security arrangement short of a NATO-style treaty.
• Trump defended the crown prince over Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder and praised his human-rights record, despite the CIA’s 2021 finding that MBS approved the operation.