On November 18, 2025, the White House was awash in ceremony, handshakes, and high-stakes diplomacy as President Donald Trump extended a lavish welcome to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman—better known as MBS. The event, marked by a military flyover, honor guards, and a black-tie dinner attended by tech and sports luminaries, signaled a dramatic reset in U.S.-Saudi relations just seven years after the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi cast a long shadow over the partnership.
The meeting was not just about pageantry. As reported by the Associated Press, President Trump used the occasion to formalize a series of major agreements with the Saudi leader, including the long-discussed sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets and nearly 300 tanks to Riyadh. The two nations also agreed to move forward with a civilian nuclear agreement and establish closer cooperation on capital markets, critical minerals, and efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
“As far as I’m concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line,” Trump said, referring to Saudi Arabia and Israel’s military hardware, according to AP. He assured that Israel’s concerns about maintaining its qualitative military edge in the region would be addressed, a nod to the complicated diplomatic balancing act always at play in Middle Eastern arms deals.
Israeli officials, for their part, have suggested they would not oppose Saudi Arabia acquiring F-35s as long as the kingdom normalizes relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords framework. The Saudis, however, have maintained a consistent stance: normalization can only come after a credible, guaranteed path to Palestinian statehood is established. “We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of two-state solution,” Prince Mohammad reiterated during the Oval Office meeting. “We’re going to work on that to be sure that we come prepared for the situation as soon as possible to have that.”
The agreements reached didn’t stop at military hardware or diplomatic frameworks. In a significant economic gesture, Prince Mohammad announced that Saudi Arabia would increase its planned investments in the United States from $600 billion—initially committed during Trump’s visit to Riyadh in May—to a staggering $1 trillion. The details of these investments remain under wraps, but they are expected to span a range of American businesses, including artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
The tone of the day was unmistakably warm, with Trump repeatedly referring to MBS as a friend and lauding his leadership. “We have an extremely respected man in the Oval Office today,” Trump declared, his arm slung over the prince’s shoulder as they greeted one another on the South Lawn. The president even took a swipe at his predecessor, Joe Biden, for greeting the Saudi leader with a fist bump during a 2022 visit. “When you get out of the plane and you get the future king—and a man who is one of the most respected people in the world—you shake his hand, you don’t give him a fist bump, right?” Trump said. “Trump doesn’t give a fist bump. I grab that hand.”
Of course, not all questions were about deals and dinners. The specter of Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder loomed large, especially as U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Prince Mohammad likely approved the operation that led to the journalist’s death. When pressed by reporters, Trump was quick to dismiss the intelligence findings and shield his guest from further scrutiny. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said, according to AP. “But (Prince Mohammed) knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”
Prince Mohammad, for his part, has consistently denied any involvement in Khashoggi’s killing. “It’s been painful for us in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We did all the right steps of investigation, etc., in Saudi Arabia, and we’ve improved our system to be sure that nothing happens like that again. And it’s painful, and it was a huge mistake.”
Trump’s handling of the Khashoggi matter drew sharp criticism from human rights advocates and government watchdogs. Raed Jarrar, advocacy director for DAWN—a U.S.-based group founded by Khashoggi—stated pointedly, “President Trump has Jamal Khashoggi’s blood on his hands.” Human rights groups have continued to highlight Saudi Arabia’s ongoing repression of dissent, including the arrest of journalists and political dissidents, as well as a surge in executions that many link to efforts to suppress internal opposition.
Despite these concerns, Trump commended the Saudi leader for what he described as “incredible” strides in human rights, though he offered no specific examples. Observers suggest he was alluding to reforms such as expanding women’s rights, but critics argue that such improvements remain overshadowed by harsh crackdowns on dissent.
The economic ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have also come under scrutiny, particularly given the Trump family’s business interests in the kingdom. In September, Dar Global, a London-based real estate developer, announced plans for Trump Plaza in Jeddah, marking its second collaboration with the Trump Organization in Saudi Arabia. Trump, however, insisted, “I have nothing to do with the family business,” pushing back on suggestions of a conflict of interest.
The day’s events culminated in a lavish dinner in the White House East Room, where Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Prince Mohammad and a guest list that read like a who’s who of tech and sports. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tesla founder Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, golfer Bryson DeChambeau, and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo were among those in attendance. The menu featured pistachio-crusted rack of lamb and a couverture mousse pear for dessert—a fittingly opulent end to a day of diplomatic theater.
During the dinner, Trump announced that Saudi Arabia would be designated as a major non-NATO ally, a status that, while largely symbolic, grants certain benefits in defense and trade cooperation. “A stronger and more capable alliance will advance the interests of both countries,” Trump said. “And it will serve the highest interest of peace.”
As the evening drew to a close, the message from both leaders was clear: the U.S.-Saudi relationship, once battered by scandal and suspicion, is now firmly back on track—at least at the highest levels of government. Whether this new era of cooperation will yield lasting peace or simply more deals remains a question only time will answer.
