Elon Musk greets Trump & MBS Saudi Royal, Trump & MBS sign agreements, Sec accepts letter of intent

President Trump’s May 2025 Saudi Arabia state visit produced a series of major bilateral agreements with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Elon Musk — traveling with the Trump delegation as part of the business leader contingent — greeted Trump and MBS inside the Saudi Royal Court. Trump and MBS signed agreements on energy, defense, and other areas. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth accepted a letter of intent with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz regarding modernization of Saudi armed forces capabilities. Energy Secretary Chris Wright accepted a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz for cooperation in the energy field. Trump emphasized the visit’s economic impact — the biggest business leaders in the world were present, “walking away with a lot of checks,” and the visit would create approximately 2 million U.S. jobs. Trump emphasized personal relationship with MBS — “we’ve known each other very well” and “we like each other a lot.” Trump on visit: “We have the biggest business leaders in the world here. They’re going to walk away with a lot of checks for a lot of things that you’re going to provide. And in the United States, it’s probably two million jobs that we’re talking about this visit.” Trump on MBS: “I like visiting with you and we’ve known each other very well. And I really believe we like each other a lot.”

Saudi Royal Court

Trump’s state visit included Saudi Royal Court protocol:

Royal welcome ceremony
Cabinet meeting with MBS
Agreement signings
Business leader engagement
Cultural events

The Royal Court — located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — serves as the official venue for head-of-state level engagement. Trump’s reception reflected highest diplomatic protocol.

Musk Presence

“Elon Musk greets POTUS Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman inside the Saudi Royal Court.”

Musk’s Saudi connection:

Saudi Public Investment Fund Tesla investment history
SpaceX Saudi customers (satellite launches)
Starlink Middle East deployment
Saudi tech sector engagement
NEOM connections

Musk’s role in Trump delegation:

Major donor
Cabinet-adjacent position (DOGE framework)
Business leader representative
Cultural influence figure
Tech sector ambassador

Agreements Signed

“POTUS Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sign a series of agreements on energy, defense, and other areas.”

The agreements portfolio:

Energy cooperation (memorandum)
Defense modernization (letter of intent)
Business investment (framework)
Technology cooperation
Strategic partnership broader framework

Each agreement represents substantive bilateral commitment.

Defense Agreement

“Next, a letter of intent between the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Department of Defense regarding the modernization and development of the capabilities of the Saudi Armed Forces through future defense capabilities.”

The defense framework:

Saudi military modernization
Future capabilities development
U.S.-Saudi defense cooperation
Specific equipment and training
Strategic alignment

“From the Saudi side, his Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense.”

Prince Khaled bin Salman — MBS’s brother, Saudi Defense Minister, represented Saudi Arabia in defense negotiations.

“From the U.S. side, his Excellency, Mr. Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense.”

Pete Hegseth — U.S. Secretary of Defense (Secretary of War after Trump’s renaming), represented the U.S.

Energy Agreement

“Starting with, a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Energy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Department of Energy for cooperation in the field of energy.”

The energy framework:

U.S.-Saudi energy cooperation
Oil market coordination
Renewable energy development
Nuclear technology (potentially)
Technology transfer

“From the Saudi side, his Royal Highness Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Energy.”

Prince Abdul Aziz — MBS’s uncle, Saudi Energy Minister, represented Saudi Arabia.

“From the U.S. side, his Excellency, Mr. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy.”

Chris Wright — U.S. Energy Secretary, former Liberty Energy CEO, represented the U.S.

Business Leaders

“As you know, we have the biggest business leaders in the world here.”

Trump’s business delegation to Saudi Arabia was extraordinary:

Elon Musk (SpaceX, Tesla, X)
Larry Fink (BlackRock)
Jamie Dimon (JPMorgan Chase)
Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone)
Ray Dalio (Bridgewater)
Travis Kalanick (CloudKitchens)
Various Fortune 500 CEOs

“They’re going to walk away with a lot of checks for a lot of things that you’re going to provide.”

Trump’s framing — business leaders signing deals worth substantial money.

2 Million Jobs

“And in the United States, it’s probably two million jobs that we’re talking about this visit.”

The employment impact:

Direct jobs from Saudi investment
Indirect jobs from spending
Multiplier effects
Long-term employment growth

2 million jobs is a substantial claim. The framework includes:

Saudi $600B U.S. investment commitment
Specific project employment
Supply chain impact
Construction and operations jobs
Service industry impact

Personal Relationship

“So, number one, I like visiting with you and we’ve known each other very well.”

Trump’s framework — personal relationship with MBS dating back years. Through:

First-term Saudi engagement
Khashoggi controversy management
Abraham Accords framework
Post-first-term private communications
Second-term restoration

“And I really believe we like each other a lot.”

Trump’s diplomatic style emphasizes personal rapport. Leader relationships drive bilateral outcomes beyond bureaucratic processes.

Bilateral Investment

“And number two, we did for the United States, we’ve brought tremendous investment in and tremendous jobs.”

Trump emphasizing outcomes:

Tremendous investment brought in
Tremendous jobs created
American benefit from Saudi relationship
Economic return on diplomatic engagement

“And we’ll continue to service you very kindly, very well.”

Trump’s commitment to continued engagement. “Service” framework — U.S. providing valuable partnership to Saudi Arabia.

Cabinet Attendance

“POTUS Trump — with members of his Cabinet in attendance — participates in a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Saudi Royal Court.”

Full Cabinet presence:

Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense (Hegseth)
Secretary of Energy (Wright)
Secretary of Treasury (Bessent)
Commerce Secretary
Other principals

The cabinet presence emphasizes:

Whole-of-government engagement
Multiple bilateral tracks
Comprehensive partnership
Strategic priority

Saudi Context

Saudi Arabia’s role in Trump second term:

$600B U.S. investment commitment
OPEC+ oil production coordination
Regional stability partner
Counter-Iran framework
Abraham Accords expansion potential
Financial flows to U.S. markets

The kingdom’s Vision 2030 framework under MBS aligns with many Trump priorities:

Economic diversification
Reduced oil dependency
Modernization
Women’s participation
Tourism development
Entertainment industry

Future Defense Capabilities

“The modernization and development of the capabilities of the Saudi Armed Forces through future defense capabilities.”

Saudi military modernization program:

Advanced U.S. weapons systems
Training and doctrine
Integrated defense
Cyber capabilities
Air and missile defense

U.S. defense industry beneficiaries:

Lockheed Martin (F-35 potential)
Raytheon (missile systems)
Boeing (aircraft)
General Dynamics (vehicles)
Various others

Significance

Trump’s Saudi visit produced substantive bilateral results:

$600B Saudi investment commitment (largest foreign investment ever)
Energy cooperation framework
Defense modernization partnership
2 million U.S. jobs projected
Business leader relationships strengthened

The personal MBS relationship Trump emphasized (“we like each other a lot”) framework illustrates Trump’s diplomatic style — leader chemistry driving bilateral outcomes.

Musk’s presence in Saudi Royal Court meeting reflected his dual role as business leader and political ally. Trump integrating major business figures into diplomatic missions characteristic of his approach.

Key Takeaways

Trump on business delegation: “We have the biggest business leaders in the world here. They’re going to walk away with a lot of checks for a lot of things that you’re going to provide. And in the United States, it’s probably two million jobs that we’re talking about this visit.”
Trump on MBS: “I like visiting with you and we’ve known each other very well. And I really believe we like each other a lot.”
Trump on bilateral outcomes: “We did for the United States, we’ve brought tremendous investment in and tremendous jobs. And we’ll continue to service you very kindly, very well.”
Defense framework: Letter of intent between Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth regarding “modernization and development of the capabilities of the Saudi Armed Forces through future defense capabilities.”
Energy framework: Memorandum of understanding between Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright for cooperation in the energy field.