Saudi crown prince, Trump discuss ties, sign economic partnership document

Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, discussed with US President Donald Trump the bilateral relations between the two countries and the coordinated efforts to bolster the strategic partnership across multiple fields.

During their co-chairing of the Saudi-US Summit at Al Yamamah Palace, both sides conferred on regional and global developments, matters of shared concern, and the concerted efforts being exerted thereon to uphold security and stability.

The two sides signed the Strategic Economic Partnership Document between the two governments and presided over the exchange and announcement of a series of bilateral agreements and memoranda of collaboration.

These included a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Energy and the US Department of Energy on cooperation in the energy sector, as well as a Letter of Intent between the Saudi Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence concerning the modernisation and advancement of Saudi Arabia's Armed Forces through future-oriented defence capabilities.

In addition, they announced a package of agreements and MoUs, including a memorandum of collaboration in the field of mining and mineral resources between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the US Department of Energy.

Additionally, a Letter of Intent was signed to advance implementation efforts and bolster collaboration across a range of critical domains, namely the development of ammunition requirements, training, sustainment services, maintenance, systems modernisation, spare parts provision, and education for both land and air systems under the purview of the Saudi Ministry of the National Guard.

Furthermore, they signed an MoU between the International Partnerships Program at the Saudi Ministry of Interior and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under the US Department of Justice, as well as a Letter of Intent between the Saudi Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence concerning the development of healthcare capabilities for the Saudi Armed Forces.

An MoU on judicial cooperation was also signed between the Saudi Ministry of Justice and the US Department of Justice, alongside several other agreements.

Earlier Tuesday, US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on a state visit as part of a three-nation tour that includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

President Trump secured a $600bn commitment from Saudi Arabia Tuesday to invest in the United States after the oil power accorded him a gala welcome at the start of a tour of Gulf states.

The US agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142bn, according to a White House fact sheet that called it "the largest defence cooperation agreement" Washington has ever done.

The agreement covers deals with more than a dozen U.S. defence companies.

"Today we hope for investment opportunities worth $600bn, including deals worth $300bn that were signed during this forum," the Saudi crown prince said in a speech during a US-Saudi Investment Forum session.

"We will work in the coming months on the second phase to complete deals and raise it to $1 trillion," he said.
"I really believe we like each other a lot," Trump said during a meeting with the crown prince.