US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during an official dinner in Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
Washington: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, as he hosted Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for a gala dinner at the White House.
"Tonight, I'm pleased to announce that we're taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them," Trump said.
"And I'm just telling you now for the first time, because they wanted to keep a little secret for tonight," Trump said of the designation, which only 19 other countries have previously received.
