Donald Trump hosted Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) at the White House for the Saudi crown prince’s first visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
During the press conference, Trump defended MBS against U.S. intelligence assessments that the crown prince was behind Khashoggi’s death, saying simply “things happen” and asserting MBS “knew nothing about it.”
The visit featured lavish ceremonial welcome: military fly-over, honour guard, and red-carpet reception. MBS offered to increase Saudi investments in the U.S. from $600 billion to nearly $1 trillion, highlighting demand for AI chip-sales and advanced civil-nuclear technology.
Trump announced a major shift in U.S. defence policy toward Saudi Arabia: the planned sale of F‑35 Lightning II fighter jets, putting Riyadh on par with Israel for first time in the region.
The meeting also touched on Saudi entry into the Abraham Accords (normalisation with Israel-linked states). MBS said Saudi Arabia wants a clear two-state solution path before joining; Trump said he saw “positive response.”