Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was in the Puget Sound region Friday in what was a very visibile, yet, private day. It included a meeting with Bill Gates and the announcement of a deal with Boeing.
After landing at Paine Field in Everett, the prince -- considered one of the most influential leaders in the Middle East and future king of Saudi Arabia -- toured the Boeing Everett factory. Boeing and the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) announced a joint venture partnership.
Boeing's partnership with Saudi Arabia will develop the local capabilities the country needs manufacturing as well as help them localize their military industry.
The deal was signed by H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Chairman of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and Dennis Muilenburg, President and CEO of Boeing.
%INLINE%
KING 5's Glenn Farley reports the Saudis are trying to grow their economy for the day the oil runs out including plans to become a parts manufacturer and supplier to the aerospace industry.
The prince then traveled to the Medina home of Bill Gates. It's unknown exactly what the two men talked about, but the prince and Gates previously announced a partnership to dedicate $10 million toward solving world issues. The prince is visiting the area in hopes of strengthening business and philanthropic relationships.
%INLINE%
It's believed the prince is spending the night in Seattle before heading to California Saturday.
This trip follow's the prince's meeting with President Trump in an effort to strengthen diplomatic ties.
Bloomberg news reports the prince also planned to visit Amazon, but no details were released.
The crown prince is 32 years old and is already known for modernizing his country. He lifted a 35-year-old ban on movie theaters and allows men and women to attend public events in the country that preferred to separate men and women in some settings.
Still, he is viewed as taking a hard line with military operations.
When he met with Trump, he also met with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and some business leaders.
His next stop is California where he hopes to encourage tech companies to consider operations in Saudi Arabia. Google, Apple, and Lockheed Martin are among his top destinations.
