President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that Saudi Arabia selling shares of its biggest oil company on the New York Stock Exchange would be "important to the United States!" | Evan Vucci/AP Photo Trump urges Saudi Arabia to list state oil company on N.Y. stock exchange

President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Saudi Arabia to list shares of its biggest oil company on the New York Stock Exchange.

“Would very much appreciate Saudi Arabia doing their IPO of Aramco with the New York Stock Exchange. Important to the United States!” Trump tweeted shortly before he was due to leave Hawaii on the first leg of a 13-day trip to Asia.


Saudi Arabia is preparing to sell shares of its state-run oil company — the world’s largest energy company — on international markets.

Saudi Prince Mohammed has said the initial public offering of about $100 billion could value the company at some $2 trillion, according to Reuters.

In an on-the-record meeting with reporters aboard Air Force One later Saturday, Trump clarified: "Aramco is going public. It will be perhaps the biggest going public ever. It’s the Saudi Arabian oil company and it will be just about the biggest ever.

"And I want them to consider, because right now they’re not looking at it, because of litigation, risk and other risk, which is very sad, they’re not looking at it, but I want them to strongly consider the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ, or frankly anybody else located in this country, but those are the big two

"I just spoke to the King a little while ago, and they will consider it."

The Trump administration has been working hard to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia.

Trump in August described his relationship with King Salman of Saudi Arabia as “very great,” calling him “a friend of mine.”

Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner made an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia at the end of October — his third trip to the country this year. He was accompanied by deputy national security adviser Dina Powell and Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt.

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Kushner is tasked with leading the administration’s efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. The White House would not say who Kushner met with on his visit.

In August, Trump offered to personally mediate a dispute between Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Arab countries centered around alleged support of terrorism.

“I was telling the emir before that if I can help between UAE and Saudi Arabia … if I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so,” he said at the time.

Trump visited Saudi Arabia with a large White House entourage in May, committing the United States to a deeper alliance with the “sacred land.”

As a presidential candidate, Trump had previously accused the Muslim-majority kingdom of complicity in the World Trade Center attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.