Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) has extended his congratulations to Donald Trump on his return to the White House, affirming the kingdom’s commitment to significantly expand trade and investments with the United States.
In a telephone conversation on Thursday (23 January), the Saudi leader conveyed his father King Salman's best wishes, reports the AFP citing a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the call, MbS announced that Saudi Arabia aims to deepen its economic partnership with the United States by expanding trade and investments to $600 billion over the next four years, with potential for further growth.
Under Trump's first tenure, relations between the two nations flourished, with the US reaffirming Saudi Arabia's position as a critical ally in energy and security.
Trump’s first official foreign visit in 2017 to Riyadh was marked by grandeur, including a traditional sword dance and a fly-past of Saudi air force jets, symbolising the strengthened bilateral ties.
However, tensions emerged in 2019 following a drone attack that halved Saudi Arabia's oil production.
Riyadh expressed disappointment over Trump's muted response to the incident, which was widely attributed to Iran.
Despite this, cooperation persisted even after Trump’s departure from office, with efforts to bolster ties through private investment and infrastructure projects linked to the Trump Organisation.
The Trump-Saudi rapport extended to Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who reportedly secured a $2 billion investment from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund for his private equity firm.
Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, adopted a more critical stance on Saudi Arabia during his presidential campaign, highlighting the kingdom's human rights record and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
However, the Biden administration later sought to mend ties, exploring a sweeping agreement that would see Saudi Arabia recognise Israel in return for a US defence pact and assistance with a civilian nuclear programme.
Talks on this so-called “mega-deal” were put on hold following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023.
As the US and Saudi Arabia navigate this evolving geopolitical landscape, MbS’s call reflects Riyadh's continued prioritisation of its economic and strategic partnership with Washington.
