Saudi-US Investment Forum yields billions in private deals, cementing tech and energy partnership.
The economic momentum generated by the White House meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday shifted swiftly to the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
It was here on Wednesday that high-level government agreements announced in the Oval Office and at a White House gala dinner the previous evening were rapidly translated into concrete private sector deals worth billions.
The forum, hosted by the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia under the theme “Leadership for Growth: Strengthening the Saudi-US Economic Partnership,” brought together senior government officials, investors, and CEOs from some of America’s most powerful firms.
Addressing the forum on Wednesday afternoon, the crown prince said the foundations had been laid for a stronger partnership between Saudi Arabia and the US and that further investment agreements in defense, energy, AI, and financial services could be expected.
In his own remarks, President Trump said that $270 billion in agreements and sales were being signed between dozens of companies. He praised the crown prince, calling him a bold leader who was committed to the Saudi-US relationship.
The investment minister emphasized that the US is the largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia, “with one of every four dollars invested by international investors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia coming from America.”
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who addressed the forum after Al-Falih, added that the newly finalized agreements “open the door for US companies to lead globally (in) innovation, in safety and in deployment.”
The event was designed to cement the economic dimensions of the alliance by aligning Saudi investment ambitions — particularly those driving the Vision 2030 transformation — with American innovation and technology.
It underscored the strategic importance of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, as a cornerstone of the new partnership.
Following the formal signing of the Strategic Artificial Intelligence Partnership between Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both sides affirmed it as a historic step to advance innovation and technological progress.
The energy sector, traditionally the bedrock of the relationship, saw renewed focus on long-term investment. Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi state oil giant Aramco, announced that Saudi Arabia would sign energy sector agreements with the US worth $30 billion.
Furthermore, a significant deal was announced to secure critical mineral supply chains, a key pillar of Vision 2030.
Source: Arabnews