U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman clasped hands during their bilateral talks at the White House on November 18 (local time). Yonhap News 

U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held bilateral talks at the White House on November 18 (local time) to discuss expanding economic and defense cooperation.

Although the Crown Prince had been in de facto diplomatic isolation since being implicated as the mastermind behind the assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018, President Trump treated the Crown Prince, who was visiting the United States for the first time in over seven years since March 2018, with a level of hospitality befitting a 'top-tier' state visit.

At the welcoming ceremony held on the South Lawn of the White House that morning, President Trump personally greeted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amidst a military honor guard and band performance. The two leaders watched together as U.S. fighter jets conducted a flyover above the White House.

Following lunch with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Trump is scheduled to host a formal dinner for 120 guests.

The unprecedented level of deference shown by President Trump to the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was interpreted as occurring despite the somewhat strained bilateral relations in the wake of the assassination.

During their bilateral talks that day, President Trump praised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as "a highly respected man" and "my longtime friend," stating, "The achievements he has made in many areas, including human rights, are truly remarkable."

He also commented on the bilateral relations, saying, "We have been very good friends for a long time. We have always been on the same side on every issue, and I think we have done a great job in eliminating Iran's nuclear capabilities."

President Trump held a welcoming ceremony at the White House on November 18 (local time) to greet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Yonhap News 

President Trump directly refuted the allegations that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the Khashoggi assassination.

President Trump stated, "That person (Khashoggi) was a very controversial figure. Many people did not like him. He (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) knew nothing about that incident," and then told the reporter who asked the question, "Don't ask embarrassing questions to our guests."

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had previously concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the Khashoggi assassination, but President Trump sought to absolve him of responsibility by stating that the Crown Prince was not involved in the incident.

President Trump has consistently defended Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since the incident.

President Trump then told the ABC News reporter who asked the question, "You are a terrible reporter. I think ABC News is fake news and should have its license revoked."

In response, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated, "The main objective of that incident was one thing: to undermine the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. It was a very painful incident and a big mistake. We conducted a proper investigation into the incident and improved our systems to ensure such a thing does not happen again."

As if in response to President Trump's extraordinary hospitality, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that Saudi Arabia would increase its investment in the U.S. from $600 billion (approximately 876 trillion won) to $1 trillion (approximately 1,460 trillion won).

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said, "We will announce plans to increase our planned $600 billion investment to nearly $1 trillion."

Following President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in May, an agreement was reached for Saudi Arabia to invest $600 billion in the U.S. This announcement signifies an additional investment of $400 billion beyond the initially planned amount.

In response, President Trump said, "It is a great honor to be your friend. I am truly grateful."

President Donald Trump walks and talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on November 18 (local time). 2025.11.18 

President Trump reiterated his administration's stance on selling U.S. F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, despite some concerns within the administration about weakening Israel's military superiority or technology leakage to China.

When asked if the F-35 jets to be sold to Saudi Arabia were the same as those used by Israel, President Trump replied that both countries are "great allies" and that "both countries deserve the best equipment."

Regarding Saudi Arabia's potential participation in the 'Abraham Accords' aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated, "We want to be part of the Accords," but added, "At the same time, we want to ensure there is a clear path toward a 'two-state solution'."

This reconfirms Saudi Arabia's long-standing position that Israel must permit the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel maintains that it cannot recognize a Palestinian state, making an expansion of the Abraham Accords unlikely at this time.

Meanwhile, when asked if his family's business dealings in Saudi Arabia constituted a 'conflict of interest,' President Trump retorted, "I have nothing to do with my family's business."

He added, "What they are doing is fine. They do business all over the world. They have actually done very little in Saudi Arabia."

According to U.S. media reports, the Trump Organization, led by President Trump's two sons, plans to develop real estate in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, under the Trump brand, and President Trump's eldest son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is a business partner of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Yonhap News