Saudi Crown Prince MBS tells Trump he’ll invest $1 trillion in US, make peace with Israel, join Abraham Accords, but wants ‘a clear path’ to a Palestinian state

President Donald J. Trump rolled out the red carpet — literally and figuratively — as he welcomed Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, widely known as “MBS,” to the White House on Tuesday.

The de facto leader of the oil-rich kingdom immediately rewarded Trump’s hospitality by announcing before the media in the Oval Office that the Saudis will increase their investments in the U.S. economy from $600 billion to $1 trillion over the next four years.

“Saudi Arabia and the United States are signing multiple agreements across industries that bring mutual economic value,” MBS told reporters.

“For the kingdom, AI is especially important because future workforce shortages will require relying on advanced computing to sustain GDP growth,” he added.

“Saudi Arabia expects strong long-term demand for AI and computing power, and aims to partner with U.S. private [sector] to secure that supply, creating significant opportunities for both countries.”

SAUDIS READY TO MAKE PEACE WITH ISRAEL — ON ONE CONDITION

The crown prince also said he would be happy to normalize relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords.

But he added that he wants to see a realistic road map to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

To that end, he indicated his full support for Trump’s 20-point peace plan and promised Saudi investment in rebuilding the devastated Gaza Strip.

“We believe having a good relationship with all the Middle Eastern countries is a good thing, and we want to be part of the Abraham Accord,” MBS said in response to a reporter’s question.

“But we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” he quickly added.

“Today, we will have a healthy discussion with the President,” MBS said.

“We're going to work on that to be sure that we can prepare the right situation as soon as possible to have that.”

TRUMP IS REBUILDING THE U.S.-SAUDI ALLIANCE AFTER GREAT DAMAGE BY BIDEN

This is the first state visit to Washington by MBS in seven years.

President Joe Biden declared MBS a “pariah” following the gruesome murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in the Fall of 2018.

The Biden administration worked for the first several years of its term to punish and isolate the crown prince and his government.

Biden denounced MBS as a “murderer.”

MBS insisted that he had no role in — nor knowledge of — the murder, and it has been proven that he did.

After an investigation ordered by MBS, nearly two dozen Saudi officials were arrested and prosecuted for murdering Khashoggi and trying to cover it up.

The crown prince has insisted — to me personally in his first on-the-record conversation about the matter in November 2018 — that the murder was a “terrible mistake” and a “heinous crime.”

He told me and a group of Evangelical leaders that it seemed to have been done by Saudi operatives who may have thought they were doing something to please him, but in fact were doing tremendous damage to his Vision 2030 plan to reform the kingdom’s economy, image, and global brand.

MBS ADDRESSES KHASHOGGI MURDER AND 9/11

“About the journalist [Khashoggi], it's really painful to hear about anyone who is losing his life for no real purpose,” the crown prince told reporters as he sat beside Trump.

“It's been painful for us in Saudi Arabia,” he added.

“It’s painful and it is a huge mistake.”

“we've [taken] all the right steps of investigation, etcetera, in Saudi Arabia, and we've improved our system…. We are doing our best to ensure that this doesn't happen again.”

Since taking office in January, Trump has been working hard to rebuild the alliance between the U.S. and the Saudis.

In May, Trump visited the Saudi Kingdom on his first foreign trip, being lavishly welcomed by the crown prince at the royal palace in Riyadh.

Asked about the kingdom’s role in the terrorist attacks against the U.S. in 2001, MBS said, “I feel painful about 9/11 families in America, but we have to focus on reality. Reality is that Osama bin Laden used Saudi people at that event for one main purpose — which is to destroy American-Saudi relations.”

“That was the purpose of 9/11,” he insisted.

“You know, strong relations between America and Saudi Arabia are bad for extremism,” MBS added. “It’s bad for terrorism.”

TRUMP ELEVATES SAUDI DEFENSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE US — AGREES TO SELL F-35s

At a lavish state dinner in honor of the crown prince and the eight-decade history of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, Trump made more news.

“I'm pleased to announce that we are taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally,” the president said.

Trump’s decision was significant, as was his decision to sign a new “strategic defense agreement” with the kingdom, and his promise to sell them top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets.

“It's a special privilege to welcome His Royal Highness to Washington this year as we mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting between a U.S. President and a Saudi King,” Trump told the assembled guests in the East Room.

“Right now, you have the best friend you've ever had.”

This article originally appeared on ALL ARAB NEWS and is reposted with permission.