Saudi Gazette report

WASHINGTON — Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington on Monday.

Upon arrival at the Pentagon, Prince Khalid was officially welcomed by Secretary Hegseth, with national anthems played and both delegations greeting each other warmly.

During extensive bilateral discussions, both sides emphasized the importance of close coordination to address regional and global challenges.

In his remarks, Prince Khalid emphasized the vital nature of Saudi-US cooperation, stating: "We live in a turbulent region, and our relationship and cooperation have always been vital. It’s even more important these days to continue coordinating and working together to ensure stability in the region and the world."

He added: "We are looking forward to having you and working closely together."

The meeting was attended by Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh Al-Ruwaili, Assistant Defense Minister for Executive Affairs Dr. Khalid Al-Biyari, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber, and Director General of the Defense Minister’s Office Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif.

On the US side, attendees included Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Christopher Grady, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Catherine Thompson, Director of the Defense Secretary’s Office Joseph Kasper, and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Alexander.