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New Delhi: When Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits US President on Tuesday, it would be his first visit to the White House since Saudi critic and journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in 2018 allegedly by Saudi agents in Istanbul.
The meeting shows that US-Saudi Arabia ties are rooted in strategic interests which have endured despite the row over Khashoggi’s killing. The Crown Prince had then denied ordering the operation but owned responsibility as the Kingdom’s de facto leader.
President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to host bin Salman at the White House, with full state-visit protocol. It will start with a morning welcome ceremony. A formal dinner in the evening is also planned.
“We’re more than meeting,” Trump was quoted as saying on Friday as he flew to Florida for the weekend. “We’re honouring Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince.”
The visit of the Crown Prince cannot be called as an official state visit as bin Salman is not Saudi Arabia’s head of state. King Salman holds that position. However, the Crown Prince has been carrying out almost all day-to-day responsibility for ruling the Kingdom.
Seven years after Khashoggi’s murder, Saudi Crown Prince has been projecting himself as a broker of peace, repairing ties with Iran, pushing for a Gaza ceasefire, and bringing Syria back into the Arab fold.
During his first term, Trump did not invite bin Salman back to the White House. Even though US President Joe Biden criticised the Kingdom’s human rights records, he visited Riyadh as president and met bin Salman. In May, Trump visited Saudi Arabia on the first state trip of his second term and was received with elaborate fanfare. He signed a slew of agreements during that trip.
Tuesday’s visit wants to send a message to the world that there’s no rift between US and Saudi Arabia. And both countries are ready to discuss matters of global importance.
The meeting assumes great significance for both the leaders. Trump is trying to develop a close relationship with the kingdom’s de facto ruler as he is seeking to cement diplomatic ties with Israel, to make quick progress on Abraham Accords. “The Abraham Accords will be a part we’re going to be discussing,” Trump has said. “I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords fairly shortly.” Trump wants Saudi Arabia to normalise its relationship with Israel, which he believes will be a huge step towards Gaza peace. Saudi Arabia has said that any step to normalise ties with Israel must include a “credible” and “irreversible” path to Palestinian statehood.
The visit by the Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler seeks to bolster long-standing cooperation on oil and security while expanding ties in commerce, technology, and potentially even nuclear energy.
An investment summit is also being planned at Kennedy Centre by Saudi Arabia, that will coincide with Crown Prince’s US trip. During the summit, Saudi and American business leaders will meet to explore business and trade opportunities. Earlier in May, Saudi Arabia promised to invest $600 billion in the US.
Riyadh has also been pushing for deals in nuclear energy and artificial intelligence under its ambitious Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy and strengthen its position relative to regional rivals, a Reuters report said. The Saudi leader also wants to forge a pact with Washington on developing a Saudi civilian nuclear programme.
A US official was also quoted as saying by CNN that Washington and Riyadh were working to finalise defense and security agreements, including major new purchases of American-made fighter jets and other weapons.
The Crown Prince’s visit indicates an effort to reset and reinforce a US-Saudi partnership that has seen turbulence in recent times. The meeting is a chance for Trump to push forward his Middle East diplomacy. For bin Salman, it provides a good platform to showcase his growing global stature, and boost security and economic ties with the US.
