Trump then says the pair will take some questions from the press.

Before he does so however he reiterates to the prince that it is an "honour" to be his friend and adds that the US "very much appreciate[s]" the investment.

"Now $1 trillion, OK," Trump says to some laughter in the room. "I'm glad you [the crown prince] got that out there because I didn't want to be the one to tell them."

Bin Salman says, with a smile, "you keep increasing Mr President, each time the opportunities are increasing more and more".

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is speaking now.

He says he can increase the $600bn of investment in the US up to $1tn.

President Trump asks him to confirm, to which MBS responds "definitely".

"That's great," Trump says, adding: "I appreciate that".

Trump continues to say the pair are "always on the same side" of every issue.

He turns to Iran, and the president says the US did a "great job" of wiping out the country's nuclear capacity - "nobody else could have done that", the president adds.

Trump says he invited the pilots involved in the US strikes on Iran in the Oval Office to celebrate "a very successful attack".

He says the pilots told him that they, and their predecessors, had practised such an attack "for 22 years" but that no president ever gave the go-ahead.

"I let them do it," Trump says as he explains it was the "right thing" to do.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Reuters

The US president's initial remarks in the meeting with the Saudi crown prince have focused, in large part, on the US economy and his arguments that it has improved since his predecessor Joe Biden left the White House.

Trump has long framed his relationship with Saudi Arabia as one that is beneficial to the US economically, and today is similarly framing it as good for the US - both in terms of job creation and in terms of a favourable investment environment.

Notably, Trump's comments come as the White House comes under criticism from its detractors, some of whom say that Trump has failed to live up to his promises to help everyday Americans and bring down prices.

The issue of affordability in the US is also something that Trump discussed, at length, at an event hosted by McDonald's yesterday evening.

Saudi Arabia will invest $600bn (£456bn) in the US, Trump says - a reference to funds promised during the president's trip to Riyadh earlier this year.

"That number could go up a little bit higher," he says. "We appreciate it very much."

The money will mean more investment in plants, companies and in Wall Street, Trump adds, and says it will also help to create jobs in the US.

"We have a lot of jobs," says Trump.

Image source, Reuters

Trump continues, saying that the US is now the "hottest country in the world".

He says that between tariffs and the election, his administration has done things "nobody can believe".

Trump begins by calling the crown prince an "extremely respected" man, and says bin Salman has been a friend of his "for a long time".

The US president continues to praise the prince's work "in terms of human rights", and pays the "greatest respects" to his father.

The US president and the crown prince have both sat down to start their bilateral meeting.

They're delivering some opening remarks now - you can watch live at the top of the page.

Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent

We're just waiting on the two leaders to emerge for bilateral talks in the Oval Office. One thing likely to be on the agenda is bin Salman's push for a defence agreement with the US. Tom Bateman looks at the current security relationship between the two countries.

The US has troops stationed at military bases across Saudi Arabia, including at the Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh which contains US Patriot missile batteries.

Combined with its other bases in Gulf states, these make up Washington’s outsized role in the region’s security balance.

The US military presence in the kingdom has often been controversial.

But the bases, sitting across the Gulf from Iran, are intended to create deterrence against America’s adversaries; while providing protection to its allies - Israel and the Gulf Arab states.

That strategic relationship has, however, been under pressure, with both Iran and Israel having launched strikes on Qatar this year.

The Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, want Washington to provide them with a more formal security pledge.

Qatar got that from Trump earlier this year. Now Mohammed bin Salman wants the same; plus his long-held desire for American F-35 fighter jets and progress on US backing for a Saudi civilian nuclear power programme.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Washington DC

We're expecting to see US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office any minute now.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

A little more on that warm welcome for the crown prince.

As he arrived there was a flyover, which we now know consisted of three F-35 fighter jets and three F-15s.

It's a personal touch from President Trump, who told reporters ahead of this visit that the US will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia.

Image source, SAUL LOEB/AFP

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Trump and the crown prince briefly step outside again, and can be seen speaking in the White House garden.

The pair look at a wall filled with pictures of former US presidents.

You can watch these moments unfold by pressing watch live at the top of the page.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak

I've just returned to the White House basement. When the crown prince arrived I was outside on the north side of the White House, where I could hear national anthems being played and the cannons blasting.

About a minute before I walked back inside, a flight of six US fighter jets flew over the White House - a sign of how important military hardware is likely to be in the upcoming discussion.

Usually "working visits" to the White House are quite straightforward affairs, in which the visiting leader is driven down the driveway on the north side of the building to meet the US president at the doors to the West Wing.

This sort of pomp-and-circumstance is usually reserved for heads of state, which in Saudi Arabia's case would be King Salman.

Having this sort of reception is a sign of how important Saudi Arabia is to the Trump administration, whether that be diplomatically, militarily or economically.

Image source, REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

As the two leaders shook hands they exchanged some words, which were not picked up by the cameras.

They then stood for a few moments outside the White House - looking upwards as a flyover, believed to be made up of F-35 fighter jets, took place.

• For context: Earlier we reported on Trump's announcement that the US would sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

The crown prince and the president then entered the White House where they will take part in a bilateral meeting. As they did so, Trump briefly placed his hand on bin Salman's back.

Image source, The White House

Trump emerges from the building and stands in front of the White House.

Music plays as the Saudi crown prince arrives and the pair shake hands.

The pair stand while jets fly overhead.

Image source, Reuters

We're seeing members of the US and Saudi delegations leave the White House now.

US and Saudi flags are being held by uniformed soldiers outside the building.

We expect to see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Donald Trump shortly - you can watch live at the top of the page.

Image source, Reuters

A warm welcome awaits the Saudi crown princepublished at 16:00 GMT 18 November 2025

16:00 GMT 18 November 2025

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Donald Trump’s first international trip of his first term was to Saudi Arabia. His first full foreign trip of his second term began in Saudi Arabia.

Great Britain may have a historical claim to the term “special relationship” when it comes to the US, but it’s clear that Trump's connection to Saudi Arabia – politically, financially and personally – is anything but ordinary.

During his trip to Riyadh earlier this year, the Saudis promised more than $600bn (£456bn) in US investments. More could be on the way following Mohammed bin Salman’s visit – his first to the US since the Saudis were implicated in the 2018 murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.

That episode appears to be ancient history, at least for Trump.

The US president has offered the Saudis access to state-of-the-art US military hardware, including F-35 fighter jets. He has made Saudi Arabia a key player in his Middle East peace plan, even if the kingdom has yet to sign on to his Abraham Accords pact and normalised relations with Israel.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has had a steady stream of foreign leaders seeking to curry his favour, with varying levels of success. Few will have received the kind of warm greeting that awaits the Saudi crown prince, however.

Sameer Hashmi
Reporting from Riyadh

Even before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump has set the tone for a show of warm camaraderie by announcing that the US will sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia - something the crown prince has long sought.

But the process is far from straightforward, with major hurdles ahead and a long phase of complex negotiations before any delivery can be assured.

The de facto Saudi leader is also pushing for a defence agreement ratified by the US Congress.

Earlier this year, President Trump signed a security pact with Qatar through an executive order, after Israel’s strike on Doha in September.

But in return, President Trump wants Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel. Officials familiar with the talks tell me that the Saudis will not agree unless Israel commits to a credible pathway towards a two-state solution.

In the end, Riyadh is likely to receive a deal resembling Doha’s, not a full defence pact at this stage.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

This is a rare visit to the US from Ronaldo, who has faced legal battles over allegations that he raped a woman in Las Vegas in 2009.

Ronaldo has long denied the allegations and has never been charged.

A lawsuit was dismissed in 2022 as a result of "misconduct" by the plaintiff's attorney.