Osaka: US President Donald Trump praised his "friend" Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday for taking steps to "open up" the kingdom and extend freedoms to Saudi women.
The two were meeting over breakfast on Saturday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
Trump, however, ignored reporters' questions about the prince's alleged role in the killing last year of prominent Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi.
A United Nations expert has called for an investigation into his alleged involvement in the killing at the Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.
In a television interview before he left Washington, Trump brushed off calls for a further inquiry by saying Khashoggi's death has been heavily investigated.
He said the Saudi promise to buy billions of US military equipment "means something to me".
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A White House statement said they discussed "Saudi Arabia's critical role in ensuring stability in the Middle East and global oil markets, the growing threat from Iran, increased trade and investments between the two countries, and the importance of human rights issues."
The U.S. president sees a close relationship with Saudi Arabia as a lynchpin to Washington's Middle East strategy to counter Iran.
