Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – On May 13, 2025, Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, accompanied President Donald Trump on the first day of his Middle East tour, joining a high-profile lunch with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Royal Court in Riyadh. The visit, marking Trump’s first major international trip of his second term, underscores a renewed push for economic ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, with Musk later set to speak at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum this afternoon.
Trump arrived at King Khalid International Airport at 9:49 a.m. local time, greeted by a lavish ceremony that included a royal purple carpet, a military escort, and a traditional coffee and tea ritual with the crown prince. Inside an ornate ballroom, the leaders sat in plush purple chairs with gold trim, engaging in warm conversation that Trump described as a reflection of their strong rapport, stating, “We like each other a lot.” Musk, a key Trump adviser who recently stepped back from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency, was among the prominent U.S. business leaders present, including CEOs from Amazon, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Boeing, and Google, signaling the deep ties between American industry and the Saudi regime.
The lunch, a showcase of Saudi hospitality, served as a prelude to the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, where Musk is scheduled to speak alongside the crown prince and other global leaders like BlackRock’s Larry Fink and NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang. The forum aims to secure significant Saudi investment in the U.S., with Trump pushing for a $1 trillion commitment, building on a $600 billion pledge made by the crown prince in January 2025. Discussions are expected to cover trade, AI, energy, and regional stability, with Trump emphasizing Saudi oil’s role in curbing inflation and supporting global markets, as noted in posts on X.
Musk’s presence, however, raises eyebrows. His companies have deep ties to Saudi Arabia—the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is a major investor in X, holding a significant stake since Musk’s 2022 takeover, making them the second-largest shareholder after Musk himself. Saudi Arabia has also explored investments in Tesla, with PIF governor Yasir al-Rumayyan engaging Musk in 2017-2018 discussions, per a 2024 Human Rights Watch report. These ties, combined with Musk’s recent pivot to align with Trump’s agenda, highlight the blurred lines between business and politics in this diplomatic engagement.
The visit isn’t without controversy. Trump’s family business interests in the region—spanning luxury towers in Dubai and Jeddah, and a golf resort in Qatar—have more than tripled since his first term, raising concerns about conflicts of interest. Saudi Arabia’s human rights record also looms large; the crown prince has been implicated in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and a 2024 Human Rights Watch report criticized the PIF, chaired by bin Salman, for whitewashing abuses through international investments. Despite this, Trump has maintained close ties, calling bin Salman a “fantastic guy” during a January 2025 call, a sentiment he echoed today.
For Musk, the trip offers a platform to advance his tech ambitions—Saudi Arabia recently launched a state-run AI venture, Humain, and seeks U.S. technology to bolster its global AI standing. Yet, his involvement in a diplomatic visit, alongside his legal disputes with OpenAI’s Sam Altman (also present), underscores the unusual role of a private citizen in state affairs. Posts on X reflect mixed sentiment, with some praising the economic focus and others questioning Musk’s influence on U.S. policy.
As Trump and Musk engage with Saudi leadership, the stakes are high. The forum could reshape U.S.-Saudi economic relations, but the intertwining of personal business interests, geopolitical strategy, and human rights concerns casts a long shadow over the proceedings. The world watches as these power players navigate a delicate balance of profit and principle.
