US President Donald Trump welcomed Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Crown Prince and de-facto leader of Saudi Arabia, to the White House on Tuesday in the Kingdom’s first formal US-based visit since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The meeting signaled a major reset of US–Saudi relations and featured announcements spanning weapons sales, civil nuclear cooperation, and a sweeping investment agenda.
According to the official US fact sheet, President Trump and Crown Prince MBS signed a new US–Saudi Strategic Defense Agreement (SDA) that “fortifies deterrence across the Middle East” and paves the way for expanded US defense-industry access in the Kingdom.
In the Oval Office, Trump declared a shift in policy: “As far as I’m concerned, … they are both at a level where they should get top of the line [F-35s].” The official statement confirms that the SDA includes approval for future deliveries of the advanced F-35 Lightning II stealth jets to Saudi Arabia.
USA – Saudi Arabia: Investment promises, economic reset, defense shift
Crown Prince MBS pledged nearly $1 trillion in investment into the United States—up from an earlier announced $600 billion—which the White House says will support key sectors including infrastructure, technology, and defense. “Saudi Arabia’s nearly $1 trillion investment commitment … will flow directly into American communities,” the statement reads. The announcement also emphasizes job creation, market access expansion, and US-Saudi collaboration on standards and capital-markets regulation.
The defense agreement covers multiple domains: the fact sheet notes nearly 300 US tanks will be sold to Saudi Arabia as part of the package, and that US defense firms will operate more freely in the Kingdom. The move represents a clear strategic shift, with US policymakers signalling a more integrated Saudi role in regional defense beyond mere buyer status.
Trump defends MBS on Khashoggi
On the issue of Khashoggi’s murder, US intelligence concluded in 2021 that MBS “approved the capture or killing” of Khashoggi. Yet at the press conference Trump contradicted this assessment: “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman … but he [bin Salman] knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.” Prince MBS responded: “It’s painful and it’s a huge mistake … we are doing our best that this doesn’t happen again.”
Human-rights advocates criticized the event, warning that the visit may erode US commitment to rights-based diplomacy.
The Middle East diplomacy dimension
Beyond the bilateral lens, the meeting addressed broader regional issues. MBS made clear that Saudi normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords would be conditioned on progress toward a two-state solution for the Palestinians. “We want Israelis and Palestinians to coexist peacefully,” he said. Trump indicated he received a “positive response” but acknowledged Netanyahu’s concerns persist.
United States to recognize Saudi Arabia as major non-NATO ally
Trump also confirmed on Tuesday evening that the United States will formally recognize Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally—a designation reserved for a small group of strategic partners outside the NATO framework. “Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that we are taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally,” announced the US President during the official dinner.
The move opens the door to expanded military cooperation, preferential access to American defense technology, and closer coordination on security research, although it stops short of offering the Kingdom an automatic US defense guarantee.
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