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WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowed to invest at least $600 billion in the US — after President Trump floated he would fast-track his visit to the kingdom if they put up a massive amount of cash.
MBS made the pledge during Trump’s first Oval Office phone call with a foreign leader on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency revealed Thursday, noting that the massive investment could go “potentially beyond that.”
Trump had joked Monday in a back-and-forth with reporters that he would consider making his first trip to Saudi Arabia if they coughed up the money.
“The first foreign trip typically has been with the U.K. but … I did it with Saudi Arabia last time because they agreed to buy $450 billion worth of our products,” Trump said in an Oval Office press conference.
“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.”
Trump has had a warm relationship with MBS dating back to his first term in office. The president called the Crown Prince when he assumed power in Saudi Arabia in 2017, and the two committed to cooperate on economic and security issues.
Trump stood with MBS when journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated in a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, despite global outrage at the slaying of The Washington Post columnist.
In their phone call Wednesday, the two again spoke about having a positive relationship between the US and the kingdom.
“The two leaders discussed efforts to bring stability to the Middle East, bolster regional security, and combat terrorism,” a White House readout of the call read.
“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.”
The Saudi Press Agency noted, “The two leaders discussed ways for cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America to promote peace, security and stability in the Middle East, in addition to enhancing bilateral cooperation to combat terrorism.”
MBS also had a phone call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, per the Saudi Press Agency.
The call marks the start of a renormalization of US-Saudi relations, as former President Joe Biden had several tiffs with the kingdom.
Relations with Saudi Arabia chilled under Biden after the Democrat described MBS as a “pariah,” and after the country refused to increase oil production amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
