Jared Kushner and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are so close, they call each other by first names in their many private phone calls and texts, The New York Times reported Saturday.

The chummy relationship between the volatile prince and President Trump’s son-in-law was initiated by the Saudis and has helped shape US-Mideast policy, to the consternation of National Security Council staffers, the Times wrote, citing anonymous former White House officials who declined to be quoted by name.

Kushner even spoke to the prince after the Oct. 2 slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, offering advice on how to weather the storm and offering to be Salman’s most influential White House defender, the report said.