A Trillion Dollar Opportunity - J. Michael Levesque

A Trillion Dollar Opportunity - J. Michael Levesque

One trillion dollars.

 

That’s a lot of money, however you measure it.

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It’s more than the U.S. government spends on defense.

Of the 195 recognized countries in the world, only 19 of them have a GDP of one trillion or more.

But that’s what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pledged to invest in the United States by the year 2030.

 

When President Trump visited the Kingdom this past May, that pledge was delivered personally to him by His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom.

 

Startling.

 

And now, on November 18th, His Royal Highness will be meeting with the President in the White House to continue that remarkable progress.

The two leaders will (according to Bloomberg) sign agreements concerning Artificial Intelligence, defense and nuclear cooperation and trade.

 

Which poses the obvious question to us Rhode Islanders: how can we be part of the discussion and perhaps even bolder – how can we be a leader?

This isn’t rocket science (though that can be part of the discussion!).

We have some of the most prolific defense industries in the world located in our state, as well as the US Naval War College.  We have some of the most elite institutions in multiple fields, as well as globally recognized colleges and universities.

We have unparalleled beauty and history, making it a desired location to live, work, study, and prosper.

It’s time to step up our game.

 

A few months ago, I had the opportunity and honor to speak (on doing business in the Middle East) at the Arabian Gulf Conference 2025 at Harvard University, along with speakers from the US and the Gulf region.

The keynote speaker, whom I had the privilege of interviewing afterwards, was His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal.  His Royal Highness is the youngest son of the late King Faisal and was the Director General of the General Intelligence Directorate, the former Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2007, and the former Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, among many other high-ranking positions.

 

When His Royal Highness and I pulled aside for the interview, I was quite taken by his easy demeanor and eloquence.

I asked what would be at the top of his list of requests for US action.   He didn’t miss a beat.

He said, “solving the Iran nuclear issue, facing the destructive force of non-state actors, committing the US to the peaceful resolution of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and security of its friends and allies are imperative to a state of certainty in the Gulf region and the Middle East at large.”

 

His Royal Highness was not averse to strongly criticizing the US and its (at that point in time) confusing and destructive policies related to the Palestinian people.

Of the “wish list”, it appears that President Trump was listening too.

The US has since decimated the Iranian nuclear capabilities and signed what everyone thought was an impossibility – peace (at least for now) between Israel and Hamas.

 

I thought I saw it all when the Abraham Accords were signed during President Trump’s first term.  This goes beyond even that.

 

Which brings us back to the driving question:  how can RI be part of this remarkable ride with the good people of Saudi Arabia?  

By being bold and simply taking the first step.

 

Saudi Arabia, for those who haven’t had a chance to go there or see some proper videos, is a beautiful, welcoming place full of people who want what almost every nation wants – peace and prosperity.

The people are overboard with kindness and hospitality, and its leadership, under the young progressive leadership of His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), with the approval of the King, is undergoing breathless changes at a rapid pace to become a destination location for world travelers.

His Highness’ 2030 plan is not only ambitious but carefully written to be attainable due to the Kingdom’s vast wealth and healthy appetite for global leadership in many areas.

Their industrial policies are rapidly embracing non-oil-centric policies that welcome new ideas and new initiatives.

In a nutshell, under the leadership of “MBS” and the King, virtually anything is possible.

 

My most important question for His Royal Highness Prince Al-Turki (the cousin of MBS) was “if you were to zero in on what you thought would be the most interest … in the Kingdom, working with the United States, what category or categories would that be?”

 

His response?

“I would say all categories>”

“Whether it is space exploration, whether it is biomedical research, whether it is sports advancement or other high-tech knowledge and science and so on … these are all available to be not only inspired but also invested by both sides.  And it’s a mutual benefit, … it benefits not just Saudi Arabia, but it benefits the United States, for employment and for other results of that investment and vice-versa.”

 

The US, through the efforts of President Trump and his foreign relations team, has breathtaking opportunities with our friends in Saudi Arabia.

We in Rhode Island need to take the lead and be at the table when the President meets with His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman next month, if not physically, then in spirit.

We should all pitch in, regardless of political background or past grievances, to make it happen.

 

 

J. Michael Levesque is a former Mayor of West Warwick and is the Managing Partner of Churchill Lincoln Partners, an international consulting firm.