RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — President Trump got the royal treatment on his first stop in Saudi Arabia, as white Arabian horses flanked his motorcade — with adviser Elon Musk in tow.
Dozens of Saudis rode on horseback carrying US and Saudi flags as Trump’s motorcade peeled into the Royal Court, where he got a warm welcome before going to a lunch in the palace adorned with chandeliers and marble floors.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump told reporters after his arrival, referring to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as a friend.
He later recalled how “impressed” he was when he first met the 31-year-old MbS back in 2017 during their first visit, and how they quickly became friends.
“I like visiting with you, and we’ve known each other very well, and I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said.
The president was escorted into the country by six Saudi F-15s bracketing Air Force One, got a 21-gun salute on arrival, and was met with the level of pomp and circumstance that he was met with during his first trip to the Kingdom in his first term.
The lunch was attended by members of the Saudi government — as well as a number of tech billionaires and business leaders, including Musk, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, CEO of Boeing Kelly Ortberg, and more.
Other tech guests included Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Palantir CEO Alex Karp, CIO of Google Ruth Porat, CEO of Blackstone Group Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Coca-Cola James Quincey, LinkedIn Executive Chairman Reid Hoffman — and Miami mayor Francis Suarez.
Musk — who has taken one step back from the Department of Government Efficiency and is largely no longer working from the White House — was spotted shaking hands with Trump ally Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump patted Musk on the arm as the world’s richest man smiled and looked around the palace.
MbS smiled a wide smile as he spoke to the Trump aide.
Other industry leaders also got in line to speak with the president and MbS, who are later attending an investment conference dedicated to bringing in economic opportunities from major donors.
The greeting line to speak with Trump and MbS lasted over 30 minutes, with the president welcoming each special guest.
Members of Trump’s cabinet at the festivities included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
