On Tuesday, November 18, US President Trump welcomed the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. The anticipated meeting between the two leaders aims to further security relations, civil nuclear cooperation, and multi-billion-dollar commercial agreements between the two countries, with the focus on F-35 military sales.
Although not yet the king, Mohammed bin Salman is widely regarded as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. This is his first visit to the White House in over seven years, aimed at strengthening relations with the United States.
On Tuesday, President Trump held a grand welcome ceremony for Salman’s visit on the South Lawn of the White House, including a military parade, cannon salutes, and a flyover of US fighter jets over the White House.
With a smile on his face, Trump shook hands with Salman on the red carpet, surrounded by dozens of soldiers.
This meeting highlights the significant relationship between the world’s largest economy and the largest oil exporting nation.
According to the schedule released by the White House, following the welcome ceremony, President Trump will hold bilateral talks with the Saudi Crown Prince at the White House, followed by a lunch together. On Tuesday evening, President Trump and First Lady Melania will host a formal dinner for Salman. The itinerary carries significant diplomatic weight.
According to Reuters, a senior US official stated that the US and Saudi Arabia are preparing to finalize agreements on defense sales, enhancing civil nuclear cooperation, and investing billions of dollars in American artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
On Monday, Trump told reporters, “We will sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.” Saudi Arabia has requested to purchase 48 of these advanced fighter jets.
If the sale of F-35 fighter jets is ultimately concluded, Saudi Arabia will become the first Arab country to join the F-35 program.