 "Saudi leader offers $600 bn investment pledge in call with Donald Trump")
By Sherif Tarek
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman told President Donald Trump that his country is willing to expand its investments and trade with the US in the coming four years by $600 billion, or even more if opportunities arose, according to the state-run news agency SPA.
The crown prince, known as MBS, spoke to the American president in a congratulatory phone call on Wednesday, SPA said.
During the call, Bin Salman said the kingdom was eager to seize partnership and investment opportunities created by the new administration’s anticipated reforms, which could achieve “unprecedented economic prosperity.” The SPA report did not provide further details on the call or say what reforms he was talking about.
Both men, who have had warm ties since Trump’s first tenure, also discussed cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the US in efforts to bring peace and stability in the Middle East, and to fight terrorism.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Trump and the crown prince spoke at a time of rapid shifts in the Middle East. Iran, Saudi Arabia’s rival in the region, has been weakened with defeats by its proxy militias Hamas and Hezbollah at the hands of the Israelis. President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, a crucial ally, has been overthrown and forced into exile. And early this week, a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza, halting, at least for now, the war between Israel and Hamas.
The crown prince’s move could help secure a return visit by Trump to his country. The US leader’s first overseas trip as president in 2017 was to Saudi Arabia, which Trump earlier this week said came after the kingdom agreed a substantial investment in buying US goods, including weaponry.
Trump told reporters he’d be happy to visit Saudi Arabia again if it wanted to buy another $450 billion or $500 billion worth of US goods. The $600 billion offer would easily clear that threshold.