The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, expressed the kingdom's intention to invest 600 billion dollars in the United States over the next four years. This statement comes after a phone call with former President Donald Trump, who did not rule out the possibility of making a new trip to Saudi Arabia as his first foreign visit, in line with his visit in 2017.
During that visit in 2017 to the kingdom, Trump broke with the tradition that the first foreign trip of U.S. presidents should be to the United Kingdom. This gesture highlighted the close ties of his administration with the leaders of the oil-rich states in the Persian Gulf, as his company explored business opportunities in the region.
The call between Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reported by the state news agency Saudi Press, revealed Saudi Arabia's intention to expand its investments and trade with the United States. Although specific details about the sectors of these investments were not provided, they are likely to address areas such as armaments and defense systems, in which Saudi Arabia depends on the U.S.
The news comes at a time when Saudi Arabia faces economic pressures due to declining oil revenues worldwide. Additionally, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has million-dollar investment projects, such as the construction of a new city in the desert and preparations to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in 2017 generated controversy due to the beginning of a boycott against Qatar by several Arab countries, including the kingdom. Despite this, relations between Trump and Saudi Arabia remained close, even after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, in which Prince Mohammed was involved.
In this context, the possibility of a new visit by Trump to Saudi Arabia and discussions about million-dollar investments between the two countries show the relevance of the relationship between both nations and the economic and political interests that bind them.
