US President Donald Trump had an unusual question for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he praised him for making Riyadh a major world business center.

Four years ago, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman struggled to get an audience with then-President Joe Biden, who said he wanted to make the Gulf country a pariah after its leader allegedly ordered the murder of a Washington-based journalist.

Although Trump recently attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, Saudi Arabia was originally intended to be his initial overseas destination, just like in his first term. It served as a gilded debut for a foreign policy focused on securing cash infusions for American businesses.