For Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Tuesday’s visit by President Donald Trump caps what’s been a series of major events to bring the kingdom back into the embrace of international business.
Watch live in our video player above.
Businessmen thronged to a Saudi investment forum, a stark contrast to what happened after the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was slain by a Saudi hit squad at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which saw civilian casualties in their airstrikes, has faded into the background as the kingdom has sought a peace deal there and a detente with Iran, their regional rival.
Instead, the world’s media has crowded into the kingdom and broadcast images of the crown prince, smiling, greeting Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the kingdom will host the FIFA 2034 World Cup, which will draw more attention here.
Trump called Mohammed bin Salman a friend and said they’d developed a good relationship. He spoke about visiting Saudi Arabia in 2017 on the first foreign trip of his first term in office.
Trump has said he decided to make Saudi Arabia his first official overseas stop again because of the kingdom’s promise to invest $600 billion in the United States. He joked Tuesday that they could bump it up to $1 trillion.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said.
Support PBS News Hour
Your tax-deductible donation ensures our vital reporting continues to thrive.