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Lavender carpets and billion-dollar deals: Saudi Arabia welcomes Trump like a King, big investments on the way!

1 month babelfish

If one thing is now clear, it is that Saudi Arabia and the royal family have a strong fondness for President Donald J. Trump.

For example, in an unusual move and a breach of protocol, it was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) who rushed to greet Trump the moment the president stepped off Air Force One at the Royal Terminal.

The welcome was typically sumptuous. As detailed by the NY Times , Trump was received at the Royal Terminal of Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, after which he and MbS walked across a lavender carpet and sat between marble columns in navy blue and gold armchairs.

Trump's arrival, via the monitors

“ Trump lands in Saudi Arabia with a royal welcome from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ,” Al-Monitor journalist Elizabeth Hagedorn pointed out, highlighting a significant contrast: “ Biden, in contrast, was greeted by the governor of Mecca ,” a secondary character.

As Air Force One entered the kingdom's airspace, Saudi fighter jets escorted it as it approached the Saudi capital. Later, as the NYT reported, “The presidential limousine, nicknamed The Beast, was escorted by riders on Arabian horses as it headed toward the royal court.”

Among the first major events, Trump gave a speech at an investment forum hosted by the Saudi government. Accompanying him were prominent figures such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, as well as other senior officials.

The investment forum saw the Saudi crown prince welcome not only Trump, but also Elon Musk and other top executives from technology and Silicon Valley companies, including representatives from BlackRock, Palantir, Nvidia, OpenAI, IBM, CitiBank and others. Also among those eyeing potential investment from the Saudis is billionaire medical entrepreneur Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of The Los Angeles Times.

Speaking to cameras at the start of bilateral talks, President Trump said: “ MbS is a friend, we have a good relationship .” And he added, as reported by Reuters: " I really think we like each other a lot."

Trump hopes to secure a $1 trillion investment in US industry from the Kingdom, a figure significantly higher than the $600 billion investment commitment previously announced by the crown prince. This stop in Saudi Arabia is the first of his Gulf tour, which will later include Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

It is important to note that the head of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, was present at the airport together with MbS for Trump's grand reception at the VIP Royal Terminal.

After the American national anthem played by the Saudis, which Trump greeted with deference, the president prepared to speak live from Riyadh after the signing of US-Saudi Arabia investment agreements worth hundreds of billions of dollars. According to a White House correspondent, “The United States and Saudi Arabia sign the largest arms sales deal in history – nearly $142 billion, part of a $600 billion investment package signed by President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Riyadh, bringing an infusion of liquidity to the United States.”

A fact sheet released by the White House begins by stating: “ Today in Saudi Arabia, President Donald J. Trump announced Saudi Arabia's $600 billion commitment to invest in the United States, building economic ties that will last for generations to come .” And he continues: “The first agreements announced strengthen our energy security, defense industry, technological leadership and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals .”

Below are just a few of the many transformative deals secured in Saudi Arabia:

  • Saudi DataVolt is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States.
  • Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD and Uber commit to investing $80 billion in cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries.
  • Iconic American companies including Hill International, Jacobs, Parsons and AECOM are building key infrastructure projects such as King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault, Qiddiya City and more, totaling $2 billion in US services exports.
  • Additional major exports include gas turbines and energy solutions from GE Vernova totaling $14.2 billion and Boeing 737-8 passenger planes for AviLease totaling $4.8 billion.
  • In healthcare, Shamekh IV Solutions, LLC will invest $5.8 billion, including a facility in Michigan to launch a high-capacity facility for intravenous fluids.
  • Investment partnerships include several sector funds with a strong emphasis on U.S. jobs – such as the $5 billion Energy Investment Fund, the $5 billion New Era Aerospace and Defense Technology Fund and the $4 billion Enfield Sports Global Sports Fund – each of which channels substantial capital into American industries, fostering innovation and creating high-quality jobs across the United States.

An excellent result for the US president who brings home strong investments, but also for the Saudi Kingdom which strengthens relations and influence in the USA, which, however, has been the Monarchy's safest and closest ally for over 70 years.

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The article Lavender carpets and billion-dollar deals: Saudi Arabia welcomes Trump like a King, huge investments on the way! comes from Economic Scenarios .

This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/trump-arabia-saudita-maxi-investimenti/ on Tue, 13 May 2025 17:30:03 +0000.