Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met Monday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Riyadh, the day before the controversial Saudi Future Investment Initiative conference.
Why it matters: Despite joining several other high-profile media companies and individuals in pulling out of FII, colloquially known as "Davos in the Desert," over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, the meeting shows both Mnuchin's and the Trump administration's efforts to continue working with MBS despite global outcry over Khashoggi. Mnuchin's spokesman, Tony Sayegh, tweeted Monday that during the meeting the two "addressed combating terrorist financing, implementing Iran sanctions, Saudi economic issues and the Khashoggi investigation."