Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince on Thursday said the Kingdom will make a $600 billion investment in the United States over the next four years, an announcement that came after President Trump suggested he could make a visit to the oil-rich nation his first international trip as president.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's investment pledge reportedly occurred during a phone call with Trump and was first reported by the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.
In a readout from the call, the Saudi government also said the investments and trade could go “potentially beyond” the $600 billion mark.
The readout did not elaborate on where those investments and trade could be placed. The U.S. in recent years has increasingly pulled away from relying on Saudi oil exports, which once was the bedrock of their relationship for decades. Saudi sovereign wealth funds have taken large stakes in American businesses while also looking at sports as well.
Saudi Arabia does, however, rely predominantly on U.S.-made weapons and defense systems, which could be a part of the investment.
There was no immediate readout from the White House on the call. It also wasn’t immediately clear if Trump’s call with the crown prince was his first with a foreign leader since re-entering the White House. (Associated Press)
In 2017, Trump broke tradition that U.S. presidents head to the United Kingdom as the first foreign travel, opting instead to go to Saudi Arabia because the nation “agreed to buy $450 billion worth of our products,” he told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “If Saudi Arabia wanted to buy another $450 billion or $500 — we’ll up it for all the inflation — I think I’d probably go.”
BREAKING: After President Trump said he would only visit Saudi Arabia if they started buying more American products, the Saudi Crown Prince just called and said they want to invest $600 BILLION in the United States
— George (@BehizyTweets) January 22, 2025
THE ART OF THE DEAL. pic.twitter.com/dYokGLOKfo
UPDATE: The White House released a readout of the call:
"On Wednesday, President Donald J. Trump held his first foreign leader call with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two leaders discussed efforts to bring stability to the Middle East, bolster regional security, and combat terrorism. Additionally, they discussed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s international economic ambitions over the next four years as well as trade and other opportunities to increase the mutual prosperity of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
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