US President Donald Trump has officially named Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, marking a big step in the growing military ties between Washington and Riyadh. The announcement came during a grand black-tie dinner at the White House, where Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Trump said, "Tonight, I'm pleased to announce that we're taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them."

Before the dinner, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shared that Saudi Arabia would increase the large investment it had earlier promised the US.

He said, “We can announce that we are going to increase that $600 billion to almost $1 trillion for investment.”
This announcement was made during their meeting in the Oval Office.

During the day, Trump and the crown prince held a friendly meeting filled with smiles, handshakes, and pats on the back. Trump praised the prince’s leadership and highlighted the huge investments Saudi Arabia plans to bring into the US economy. He also brushed aside questions about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

The White House gave the prince a special welcome. Fighter jets flew overhead, an honor guard on horseback stood in formation, and a lavish dinner was prepared for the evening.

In the Oval Office, Trump and the prince answered several questions from reporters. Topics ranged from business deals to the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The meeting took place seven years after US intelligence had linked the prince to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

During the exchange, Trump also insulted one reporter repeatedly while responding to questions.

Showing the prince around the White House Colonnade, Trump said, “We have an extremely respected man in the Oval Office today,” and called him “a friend of mine for a very long time.”

He also criticized ex-US President Joe Biden for greeting the prince with a fist bump in 2022. Trump said, “When you get out of the plane and you get the future king, and a man who is one of the most respected people in the world, you shake his hand, you don't give him a fist bump, right?”

He added, “Trump doesn't give a fist bump. I grab that hand”, and he did exactly that.