Trump and MBS: A Desert Bromance Blooming Under a Shower of $600 Billion?

Ritz and Reality: A Three Hour Wait in Style?

Darling Riyadh. The Ritz Carlton. It sounded like a mirage out of 'Lawrence of Arabia' meets 'Sex and the City,' but instead of cosmos and Manolos I heard it was more like… strategic patience? Apparently a constellation of CEOs and Very Important Somebodies were corralled into a room awaiting the grand entrance of Trump and MBS. Three hours! It's longer than some dates I've endured. I mean couldn't they have at least had a shoe valet?

Billionaires Gone Boho: Sitting Cross Legged for Diplomacy

And the seating arrangements? Oh honey the seating arrangements were a metaphor for… what exactly? Fortune 500 executives those masters of the universe sitting cross legged on the floor? It's like that time I had to sit on a milk crate at a fashion show in Milan – only with more billions and less couture. I couldn't help but wonder is this the new power pose? Or just a really awkward way to network?

Trump the Showman: More Rally Than Reality?

When Trump finally took the stage apparently it was less about policy and more about… well Trump. One attendee said it felt like a rally. I mean really? 'God Bless the U.S.A.' playing in the background? It's all very 'America the Beautiful' meets 'Make America Great Again.' The question is did anyone bring their 'I'm With Her' tote bag just to be ironic?

Bromance in the Desert: MBS the Greatest Representative?

But the real story the one that makes you want to raise an eyebrow and whisper over cocktails was the palpable bromance between Trump and MBS. 'He's your greatest representative,' Trump declared. I couldn't help but wonder is this what political love looks like? A meeting of minds or just a really expensive handshake?

$600 Billion and a Whole Lotta Love (or Something)

And then came the pièce de résistance: $600 billion in investments. A cool $142 billion for American weapons. Suddenly that three hour wait and those cross legged CEOs made a little more sense. It's like when Mr. Big buys you a really expensive pair of shoes after a fight. You're still annoyed but those shoes… they do soften the blow.

Optimism and Opportunity: Is This the Start of Something Big?

So what does it all mean? Is this the dawn of a new era of U.S. Saudi relations? A desert oasis of opportunity? Or just another chapter in the ongoing saga of power money and really really expensive real estate? Only time will tell. But one thing's for sure: in the world of international diplomacy even billionaires have to sit on the floor sometimes. And that my dears is a story worth writing about.