Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Monday he saw signs that Saudi Arabia was "liberalizing their society" following his trip with President Donald Trump to the Middle Eastern country, but also noted possible evidence to the contrary by saying no protests of any kind could be seen during his visit.

"There was not a single hint of a protester anywhere there during the whole time we were there," Ross said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "Not one guy with a bad placard."

Saudi Arabia criminalizes protesters, jailing and sometimes beheading those who speak out against the government.



Ross traveled with Trump to Saudi Arabia, the first stop on the president's nine-day trip. Ross and several other White House officials returned to the U.S., while the president and first lady Melania Trump continued on to Israel.

Trump will also visit Italy and Brussels, and attend a G-7 meeting and NATO summit.

While in Saudi Arabia, the president signed a $110 billion arms deal and delivered a speech on terrorism.