Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pictured left, arrives with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to attend the Future Investment Initiative FII conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images

The opulent conference center filled up more than an hour before the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was due to arrive. By the time he entered the room there were no seats left and many opted to stand so they could hear him speak.

The crown prince received loud applause from the crowd when he mentioned Qatar, which the kingdom cut ties with last year.

Bin Salman ended his remarks with a joke about Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri: "(He) is here for two days and hopes there are no rumors of him being kidnapped."

The joke was a reference to Hariri reportedly being held against his will by the crown prince in Riyadh last year. The line played well in the hall with delegates who laughed and cheered.

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