Trump fortifies US ties and secures a $600 billion Saudi investment

Trump has bolstered US ties amid defense and commercial cooperation agreements by securing $600 billion in Saudi investment.

As he begins a tour of Gulf states, US President Donald Trump has won a $600 billion investment promise from Saudi Arabia during his visit to Riyadh. 

Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave Trump a warm greeting and subsequently inked a deal with the president that included several industries, including mining, oil, and defense.

A nearly $142 billion weaponry package will be sold to Saudi Arabia by the United States as part of the agreement. It is “the largest defense cooperation agreement” the United States has ever made, according to a White House fact sheet. It includes agreements with over a dozen US defense businesses in fields like communications, space exploration, maritime security, and air and missile defense.

The Saudi crown prince talked at a US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, where he revealed intentions for $600 billion in investment, including $300 billion in agreements inked there. The initiative’s second phase would seek to raise the amount to $1 trillion, he said.

The crown prince stated, “We anticipate investment opportunities totaling $600 billion, including $300 billion in deals signed during this forum.” “We’ll work on the second phase in the upcoming months to close deals and increase it to $1 trillion.”

In a meeting with the crown prince, Trump said, “I really believe we like each other a lot,” expressing confidence about the two countries’ growing ties. Whether or not the recently announced agreement includes Saudi Arabia’s possible purchase of Lockheed F-35 aircraft was another topic of discussion between the two leaders.

Along with US business magnates like Elon Musk, Trump will travel to Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as part of his ongoing Gulf tour. He has notably not planned a stop in Israel, which begs the issue of what Washington’s current Middle East priorities are.

“While energy remains a cornerstone of our relationship, investments and business opportunities have expanded and multiplied many times over,” stated Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih, highlighting the expanding economic link between the two nations.

Trump said at the forum that he is committed to strengthening his relationship with Saudi Arabia and that the large investments will contribute to job creation in the United States. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were among the prominent guests.

The summit included topics such as Middle Eastern security and economic cooperation. Trump said he hoped Saudi Arabia will formally establish ties with Israel soon, but that is still doubtful because of the current political disputes and tensions.