Saudi aircraft were in full force at JFK recently. The were needed to carry Saudi Arabia’s 32 year old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and hundreds of advisors and business men who arrived to seek investment opportunities with the United States. The Saudi-US CEO Forum CEO in Manhattan hosted over 200 people that resulted in the signing of 36 memorandum of understanding totaling more than $20 billion. Previously the Saudi government agreed to buy a large number of aircraft at a Meeting with President Trump. Saudi Arabia is shopping for investment opportunities as is recognizes the reduction of income from oil.
The Saudi prince was also touring the United States showing friendship and explaining some of the new Saudi openness to religion and women. “Women will be able to drive in June,” an oil executive told Observer. “This is huge.”
Salman is expected to seek to ease investor concerns over harsh tactics that have accompanied his effort to launch social and economic reforms in the kingdom.
The reformist Prince Mohammed also spoke about his efforts to change Saudi Arabia’s religious rhetoric so that other religious minorities would feel more at ease with the Muslim state.
To carry the entire Prince’s entourage, aircraft such as a 747, 777, 737 and another large plane were on hardstand at JFK Airport for several days. As testament to the good business relationship with the US, all the aircraft are made by Boeing in the USA.
Some of the people and companies meeting with the Saudi prince included Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, Nasdaq President and CEO Adena Friedman and Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of Boeing; SoftBank and Air Products which actually concluded deals.
