US President Donald Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often referred to as MBS, the controversial de facto ruler of oil-rich Saudi Arabia, to the White House on Tuesday (November 18).

Trump gave the Saudi prince treatment normally reserved for heads of state, welcoming MBS on the South Lawn of the White House amid cannon fire and a military jet flyover.

In comments delivered in the Oval Office shortly after his arrival, the crown prince announced that he would increase what was supposed to be a $600 billion (€518 billion) investment in the US to $1 trillion.

The visit is the prince's first since the grisly 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi agents that US intelligence services concluded were very likely operating on the crown prince's orders.

MBS calls Khashoggi murder ‘huge mistake’

Seated in front of the Oval Office fireplace, Trump said of his guest: "I'm very proud of the job he's done … What he's done is incredible in terms of human rights, and everything else is just amazing."

As MBS and Trump beamed, speaking of investments during a short question-and-answer session, the mood turned notably more hostile when a US reporter asked the prince about the 2018 murder of Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.

Trump described Khashoggi as "extremely controversial", and claimed "a lot of people didn't like that gentleman", before adding "he [the prince] knew nothing about it".

The murder sent shockwaves around the world at the time for its brazenness, with a powerful autocratic regime luring a critic to a diplomatic site outside the country in order to kill and dismember him before returning home.

Prince Mohammed himself said of the murder, "It's painful and it's a huge mistake, and we are doing our best that this doesn't happen again."

Trump lashed out at a reporter for asking the question, accusing her of "embarrassing" the prince.

Trump pressed on conflicts of interest

On Tuesday, the New York Times published an article outlining ethics concerns over Trump's dealings with MBS, which tangle public and private business interests like the US has rarely seen before.

Trump, who openly flouts the US Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which prohibits elected officials from accepting gifts from kings, princes or foreign states, brushed off questions about whether he felt it appropriate that his family conduct business with countries with which he is negotiating as president.

The president claimed, "I have nothing to do with my family business," adding that the Trump Organisation had comparatively little business in the kingdom.

One of the latest deals involves at least four Trump-brand developments in the Maldives in partnership with Saudi developer Dar Global. Investors will be able to participate in the project, which includes a luxury hotel, by purchasing digital tokens.

As with many of the president's business dealings, the tokens have also raised red flags. The digital investment model makes it extremely difficult for regulators to track the identities of individuals or entities investing in Trump and his family.

In a recent interview on CBS, seated beside trusted family ally, business partner and international fixer Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner defended the family and its real estate and crypto businesses around the world.

"What people call conflicts of interest," said Kushner, "Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships."

As an example, Dar Global paid $21.9 million in licensing fees to use the Trump name in 2024, meaning that it allows Trump and his family to receive direct payments from foreign actors and governments seeking to leverage influence with the president.

The president has also been keenly interested in getting Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel as part of his so-called Abraham Accords.

Trump sees the deal as a way to stabilise the Middle East.

On Tuesday, the crown prince said he is working to normalise relations with Israel "as soon as possible", without elaborating.

Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates have all signed on, but Saudi Arabia – which does not recognise Israel and is demanding the creation of a Palestinian state before normalisation – has yet to follow suit.

Trump on Tuesday said he believes the prince is inclined to join.

For his part, MBS reiterated Saudi Arabia's desire that Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank "coexist peacefully" with Israel, but he also insisted that the path to a two-state solution must be secured.

Trump sells F-35s to Riyadh despite concern from Israel

Following Trump's meeting with Prince bin Salman, the White House officially confirmed a "major defence sale package" that included the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Riyadh, which some critics have said could upset Israel.

"As far as I'm concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line," Trump said of Saudi Arabia and Israel earlier on Tuesday. "Israel's aware and they're going to be very happy."

There are also mixed feelings within the Trump administration over the sale. Some have argued that it makes sense that Middle East ally Saudi Arabia has US military hardware, saying it will help interoperability with US troops in the region.

Others, however, fear that the most advanced US military hardware could ultimately wind up in the hands of the Chinese, one of America's largest global competitors.

This article was republished from DW.

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