Today on our one-minute briefing: President Trump has landed in Saudi Arabia with a bold ask — $1 trillion in Saudi investments for the United States. That staggering number equals the kingdom’s entire annual GDP. Back in January, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered to invest $600 billion during Mr. Trump’s term. Economists call both figures unrealistic, noting Saudi Arabia faces a budget deficit and is borrowing heavily.

“We’ve been very good to them,” Mr. Trump said, urging the crown prince to “round that figure up” to $1 trillion and even cut oil prices. Tim Callen of the IMF summed it up: these are “two guys who like throwing very large numbers around.”

Behind the pageantry — from Riyadh’s sword dance to a star-studded investment forum — many deals may never materialize. Still, Saudi officials plan to unveil a flurry of agreements as Mr. Trump seeks to tout a spectacular win before heading on to Qatar and the UAE.
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