During his recent visit to the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump held a high-level dinner in Saudi Arabia that brought together some of the most influential business leaders from America. The event was part of Trump’s broader regional tour, which included stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where multiple investment deals and diplomatic announcements were made.
The dinner was hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and was attended by over 30 top executives from various industries. These included leaders in technology, defence, retail, finance, and manufacturing, many of whom have established connections with the Trump administration over the years. The gathering not only reflected the current direction of U.S.-Saudi economic ties but also highlighted which companies have aligned their interests with the policy goals of Trump’s second term.
One of the most high-profile names present was Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Musk has worked closely with the Trump administration, especially through his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has led to massive job cuts across several federal agencies. His presence was particularly notable as he announced that Saudi Arabia had approved the use of Starlink satellites for both aviation and maritime use.
Kelly Ortberg, the CEO of Boeing, also attended and was seen alongside Trump and the Emir of Qatar. Boeing had just secured a large aircraft deal with Qatar Airways, reportedly its biggest ever.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, also took part in the gathering. His company has benefited from federal reforms that created demand for AI-based tools in departments facing staff shortages. Jensen Huang of Nvidia joined him and later announced a major sale of Nvidia AI chips to a Saudi tech firm.
Ruth Porat from Alphabet, Larry Fink of BlackRock, and Arvind Krishna of IBM were also seen at the event, each representing companies that have secured major agreements or expressed strong support for Trump-era policies. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey, Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi, and Alcoa’s William Oplinger rounded out the list, representing firms either adjusting to or benefiting from the administration’s trade and tariff strategies.
