Politics

Trump ‘true friend of Muslims,’ Saudi prince says after meeting

Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince is singing US President Donald Trump's praises after their meeting, calling him a "true friend of Muslims" and claiming the leader's immigration ban does not target Islam.

Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, in what his senior adviser deemed a "historic turning point" in US-Saudi relations.

The adviser said in a statement that although Washington and Riyadh had previously "undergone a difference of opinion," the Tuesday meeting "put things on the right track, and marked a significant shift in relations."

The two sides discussed Trump's controversial ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority countries, which does not include Saudi Arabia.

"Saudi Arabia does not believe that this measure is targeting Muslim countries or the religion of Islam," the statement reads, noting that Riyadh believes the ban is merely aimed at preventing terrorists from entering the US.