Riyadh: A Saudi-US investment forum opened in Riyadh on Tuesday as President Donald Trump embarked on his first Middle East tour since assuming office in January. The forum aims to bring business leaders together to explore new opportunities that will further cement the partnership between Riyadh and Washington.

According to Anadolu Agency, the forum "comes at a historic moment in which the shared commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the US is renewed, for the benefit of both countries and the entire world," as stated by Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih during his opening speech. He announced that Saudi Arabia plans to inject new investments worth $600 billion in the US over the next four years. This comes after Trump expressed his desire to see this figure rounded up to "around $1 trillion" following discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in January.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan highlighted that the Saudi-US relationship "gets stronger and stronger every year," emphasizing the 92-year history of their bilateral relations. Joining the forum is Trump's adviser and tech billionaire Elon Musk, as reported by US media. Other prominent American business leaders attending the event include Boeing's Kelly Ortberg, Northrop Grumman's Kathy Warden, Coca-Cola's James Quincey, Alcoa's William Oplinger, LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman, and Amazon's Andy Jassy.

Trump's itinerary during his regional tour also includes visits to Qatar and the UAE.