Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the United States comes at a pivotal moment, as US-Saudi relations gain renewed momentum driven by the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 agenda.
At the center of this engagement stands the US-Saudi Business Council, positioned as a strategic link between the public and private sectors in both countries and tasked with turning shared goals into long-term economic partnerships.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, President and CEO of the Council Charles Hallab outlined the strategic objectives of the Crown Prince’s high-level visit.
He said he expects the trip to deepen the two countries’ strategic partnership by accelerating cooperation across sectors central to Vision 2030, including defense, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and quality-of-life industries.
According to Hallab, discussions will highlight expanding trade and investment flows, strengthening industrial and technological cooperation, and showcasing Saudi Arabia’s progress in building a more open, innovative, and competitive investment environment that welcomes long-term American participation.
He confirmed that a very large number of deals and memoranda of understanding will be unveiled during the US-Saudi Business and Investment Forum on Wednesday, which the Council is co-hosting with the Ministry of Investment.
The forum, titled “Leadership for Growth: Enhancing the US-Saudi Economic Partnership,” will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and aims to explore new investment opportunities in energy, technology, financial services, infrastructure, and healthcare.
Hallab described the Crown Prince’s visit as taking place “at a moment of renewed momentum in US-Saudi relations,” adding that it reflects the Kingdom’s emergence as “one of the world’s most dynamic and forward-looking investment destinations.”
He said that the high-level engagement sends a message of “confidence, openness, and shared purpose,” reinforcing trust in the economic partnership.
He noted that this momentum is contributing to a more optimistic view among American investors regarding the breadth of partnership opportunities tied to Vision 2030.
Hallab stressed that US companies are showing strong and growing interest in sectors that align with Saudi Arabia’s long-term goals, particularly advanced manufacturing, energy, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure.
He also pointed to rising engagement in healthcare, tourism, and entertainment. American firms, he added, bring world-class expertise that complements the Kingdom’s ambitions in diversification and global competitiveness.
In addition, American financial institutions and investment funds are increasingly exploring opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s transformation projects, according to Hallab.
With their global experience, they are well-positioned to support major Vision 2030 initiatives in infrastructure, clean energy, tourism, and technology. This growing involvement reflects strengthening confidence in Saudi markets and reinforces the depth of the bilateral economic relationship.
Critical minerals have become a central pillar of US-Saudi economic cooperation. Hallab highlighted recent talks in Riyadh between Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Wealth Bandar Alkhorayef and US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on deepening collaboration in mining and minerals. Their discussions focused on exploration, processing, and technology exchange.
Hallab emphasized that US-Saudi collaboration in advanced technologies could help transform the Kingdom into a regional hub for AI. He pointed to a new Saudi initiative under the entity Humain to build large-scale data centers and Arabic-language AI models with backing from major US tech companies including NVIDIA, AMD, Amazon Web Services, and Qualcomm.
These firms, he said, can help accelerate Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and foster a sustainable innovation ecosystem that develops local talent.
Hallab stressed that the Council will continue to play a central role after the visit, working with government agencies and business leaders in both countries to follow up on commitments.
“Our goal is to keep the momentum and ensure that every dialogue leads to action and every partnership contributes to the long-term success of Vision 2030 and the continued growth of US-Saudi economic relations,” he stated.
