President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet on Tuesday for Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, marking the royal’s first visit to the White House in more than seven years. The high profile return signals a decisive reset in U.S.–Saudi relations after the global uproar over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to Reuters.
U.S. intelligence agencies previously concluded that MBS approved the operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, though the crown prince denied giving the order while acknowledging responsibility as the kingdom’s leader. His warm reception in Washington underscores how deeply the diplomatic rift has softened.
The daylong visit is packed with symbolism and substance: Oval Office talks, a Cabinet Room luncheon, and a formal black-tie dinner. At the top of the agenda are major defense and business deals, including a potential landmark sale of F-35 fighter jets. “We’ll be selling them,” Trump said Monday, confirming Saudi Arabia’s request to buy 48 of the advanced aircraft, an approval that would represent a major policy shift and reshape the Middle East’s military balance, where Israel has long held exclusive access to the F-35.
The crown prince is also seeking security guarantees, access to cutting edge AI technologies, and progress on a civilian nuclear pact. In return, Trump aims to unlock the kingdom’s pledged $600 billion investment package and secure deepened cooperation across technology, defense, finance, and energy. “The Saudis will be spending a lot of money tomorrow in the U.S.,” a senior White House official said.
A key strategic objective for Washington is curbing China’s growing influence in the Gulf. Former U.S. negotiator Dennis Ross said Trump is intent on binding Saudi Arabia more tightly to the United States across security and economic spheres.
Trump is also expected to press MBS to join the Abraham Accords, which expanded dramatically during his first term. Riyadh has hesitated without meaningful progress toward Palestinian statehood, but analysts say that even slow movement on normalization is unlikely to derail a broader U.S.–Saudi security pact.
Panikoff of the Atlantic Council noted, “Saudi investment in the U.S. could smooth the path for deeper defense ties even as normalization with Israel remains a work in progress.”
