On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said his kingdom wants to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years. These comments came after President Donald Trump put a price tag on returning to the kingdom as his first foreign trip.
Precedence
Trump’s 2017 trip to Saudi Arabia changed a tradition of U.S. presidents heading to Canada, Mexico, or the United Kingdom as their first trip abroad. He chose Saudi Arabia because they were buying many American products then.
Crown Prince Statement
The comments from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reported early Thursday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, came after a phone call with Trump—incidentally, this marked Trump’s first call with a foreign leader since his inauguration last Monday.
“The crown prince affirmed the kingdom’s intention to broaden its investments and trade with the United States over the next four years, for $600 billion, and potentially beyond that,” the report said. However, the report did not elaborate on where those investments and trade would be.
Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia relies heavily on U.S.-made weapons and defense systems, which could possibly be a part of the investment. The $600 billion pledge, which dwarves the gross domestic product of various nations, comes as the kingdom faces budgetary pressures of its own.
White House
The White House issued a statement acknowledging that the call did take place. The Statement said the two leaders “discussed efforts to bring stability to the Middle East, bolster regional security, and combat terrorism.”
Additionally, the two leaders discussed Saudi Arabia’s international economic ambitions over the next four years, trade, and other opportunities to increase the mutual prosperity of the United States and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
