U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a bilateral meeting at the White House and discussed ways to expand economic and defense cooperation. Bin Salman's visit to the United States is the first in about seven years since March 2018.
According to foreign media on the 18th (local time), at a welcome ceremony held in the morning on the South Lawn of the White House, an honor guard lined up and a military band performed as President Trump personally received Crown Prince bin Salman. The two watched together as U.S. fighter jets conducted a welcome flyover above the White House.
President Trump had lunch with Crown Prince bin Salman and is also presiding over an official dinner with 120 guests. That day, Trump called bin Salman "my longtime friend" and emphasized, "What he has achieved in many areas, including human rights, is truly remarkable." He also stressed the bilateral relationship, saying, "We have always been on the same side on every issue, and I think we did a great job eliminating Iran's nuclear capability."
In response, Crown Prince bin Salman raised Saudi investment in the United States from the existing $600 billion (about 876 trillion won) to $1 trillion (about 1,460 trillion won). Earlier, when President Trump visited Saudi Arabia in May, Saudi Arabia agreed to invest $600 billion in the United States.
President Trump also signaled an intention to sell U.S. F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. Some had raised concerns over the issue, citing reasons such as weakening Israel's military edge or the risk of technology leakage to China.
When asked whether the F-35s to be sold to Saudi Arabia would be the same as those used by Israel, President Trump said both countries are "great allies" and added, "I think both countries deserve the top specifications." The remarks are seen as a response to speculation that, even if F-35s are sold to Saudi Arabia, a lower-performance model could be supplied.
With Trump extending such exceptional protocol, some analysts say Crown Prince bin Salman's international standing has been restored. Bin Salman had effectively been in diplomatic isolation after being identified as the mastermind behind the October 2018 assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but Trump accorded the crown prince treatment at the "top-tier" state visit level, helping him save face.
That day, Trump directly moved to shield the crown prince regarding allegations that bin Salman was behind the Khashoggi assassination, saying, "That person (Khashoggi) was a very controversial figure. Many people did not like him." Earlier, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) concluded that bin Salman was behind Khashoggi's killing, but Trump has consistently sided with the crown prince.