Donald Trump has announced he will be selling F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia in a major policy shift as he welcomed crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House.
It forms one of several trillion-dollar deals announced by the leaders during a friendly summit in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the first meeting since relations became strained after the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.
It is understood that the US president is trying to nudge Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel and join the 2020 Abraham Accords, which was brokered during his first administration and saw countries such as the UAE and Bahrain establish diplomatic ties with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Asked if this had been discussed, the crown prince, often referred to as MBS, said “we want to be part of the accords", but added that he also wants to be sure there is a clear path to a two-state solution with Palestine.
He said he had a “healthy discussion” with Mr Trump on the topic, with the president adding they had a "very good talk" about it where they talked about "one-state, two-state... a lot of things".
The crown prince announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the US to $1 trillion, up from $600 billion initially promised when Mr Trump visited the kingdom in May.
The president also dismissed questions to the crown prince about the journalist Khashoggi’s killing. His death at the hands of Saudi agents in Istanbul prompted outrage worldwide, with US intelligence concluding that MBS approved his capture or killing.
Relations with the US have improved in the past seven years since Mr Khashoggi’s murder. While MBS has accepted responsibility for the killing “because it happened under my watch”, he has insisted that he did not order it.
"Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen," Mr Trump said of the international incident.
Mr Trump, with the prince by his side, commended the Saudi leader for the strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific details. MBS is the son of the 89-year-old king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, but is widely considered the country’s de facto leader.
“I'm very proud of the job he's done," Mr Trump said. "What he’s done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else."
Mr Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House on Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the US Marine band.
With footballer Cristiano Ronaldo also in tow, the summit is due to end with an evening White House soiree, organised by first lady Melania Trump, to honour the prince.
Mr Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi club al-Nassr, has become an important sporting ambassador for the kingdom and recently referred to the prince as his “boss”.
The Portuguese forward has not been to the US since 2014. His absence came after sexual assault allegations were made against him by model Kathryn Mayorga, who has waived her right to anonymity, during a holiday in Las Vegas in 2009.
The allegations, first detailed by German newspaper Der Spiegel in 2017, have always been vehemently denied by Mr Ronaldo, and no charges have ever been brought.
The footballer recently praised Mr Trump in an interview with Piers Morgan.
He said: “He is one of the guys who can help to change the world. One of the most important guys is the US president.”
He added: “He is one of the guys I wish to meet to sit and have a nice talk. If it is here, or in the US, wherever he wants, I know he was here in Saudi with our boss MBS.”
Sales of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia mark a major policy shift, while also having a significant impact on the balance of military power in the Middle East, particularly in an era of high tensions between Israel – the only country in the region to currently own F-35s – and its neighbours.
The Saudi government has requested to buy 48 of the jets, which are produced by Lockheed Martin, despite concerns from the Pentagon that giving Riyadh access to the jets could lead to China being given access to their advanced and sensitive stealth technology.
A coalition of 11 human rights groups, ahead of the crown prince's visit, called on the Trump administration to use its leverage to press Saudi authorities to make concrete commitments on human rights and press freedom during the visit.
The activists say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom.
Human rights organisations have also documented a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connect to an effort to suppress internal dissent.
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