Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to receive an unusually grand welcome at the White House on Tuesday for his first US visit since Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder, as US President Donald Trump seeks to deepen defence and nuclear cooperation with Riyadh despite lingering controversy.
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| Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Trump |
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will receive a lavish welcome from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, signing defence and nuclear deals during his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump is expected to roll out the red carpet for the prince with a fly-by, cannon fire and a gala dinner – giving the Saudi the equivalent of a state dinner, even though he is not a head of state and is only the kingdom's de facto ruler.
Trump has made a priority of boosting ties with the oil-rich Gulf kingdom, and said on Monday he would sell coveted F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia, despite concerns from Israel.
In another area of past contention, he will sign a deal on a framework for civilian nuclear cooperation, a source familiar with the negotiations said.
Trump will also push Prince Mohammed, commonly known as MBS, to normalise relations with Israel as he seeks a wider Middle East peace deal after the war in Gaza.
"We're more than meeting," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday when asked about the visit. "We're honouring Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince."
The Saudi heir to the throne is looking forward to a fresh start on his first US trip since the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents sparked global outrage.
The killing also chilled relations with Washington, as US intelligence suggested that Prince Mohammed approved the operation inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, an allegation which Saudi authorities deny.
But the 40-year-old prince has fostered close ties with Trump and his family over the years – a relationship burnished by a lavish welcome and $600 billion in investment pledges when the president visited Saudi Arabia in May.
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| F-35 |
Security guarantees
Prince Mohammed will have his own agenda, seeking firmer US security guarantees after Israeli strikes in September on Qatar, an iron-clad US ally, rattled the wealthy Gulf region.
Along with the F-35 jets, Riyadh is seeking to buy advanced air and missile defence systems.
It will also push hard for access to the high-tech chips it needs to fuel its AI ambitions, experts said.
