The atmosphere surrounding this trip is very different from that of the crown prince’s 2018 journey to the US to advance his reform agenda, according to our Bureau Chief Jahanzaib Ali. After the murder of writer Jamal Khashoggi many months later, Mohammed bin Salman became a worldwide outcast for a considerable amount of time. On the other hand, the crown prince returns to Washington today as a powerful local figure. He is now essentially Saudi Arabia’s ruler and has become a huge force in worldwide investment and politics, making it harder for American leaders and big businesses to ignore him.
The crown prince will be welcomed by President Trump, who has strong ties to the Saudi leadership, on Tuesday at 11 AM (ET) on the White House’s South Lawn. According to analysts, the visit represents a significant diplomatic achievement for Riyadh. Few people in Washington were even open to meeting with him five years ago. Gregory Gause, a professor at Texas A&M University, stated that he is one of the most important leaders in the world now. Saudi Arabia has increased social freedoms and loosened a number of religious prohibitions in recent years, which the US has mostly applauded. The crown prince’s current top goal is to implement his ambitious “Vision 2030” plan, which aims to restructure the Saudi economy.
Washington and Riyadh are anticipated to talk about expanded defense collaboration, including nuclear technology transfers, partnerships in artificial intelligence, and significant investment projects during the visit. Although experts warn that any movement on Palestinian statehood is still necessary for any breakthrough, President Trump is also eager to advance diplomatic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Israel. A possible US sale of F-35 fighter fighters to Saudi Arabia may also be discussed, but US intelligence services have voiced worries that China would obtain critical military technology. In the meantime, in an effort to diversify its international connections in the face of an increasingly unstable Middle East, Saudi Arabia is strengthening its ties with Beijing and other major world powers.
A key component of the crown prince’s Washington agenda is the Gulf countries’ need for more enduring, long-term alliances as a result of regional tensions and changing US policy. When President Trump visited Saudi Arabia a few months prior, he talked about possible investment opportunities for the Trump Organization. Members of the Trump family are anticipated to delve deeper into these commercial opportunities at this week’s talks, according to media sources.
President Trump also visited the government-owned “Diriyah” real estate complex while in Saudi Arabia. The Trump Organization is in talks to build a Trump-branded property there, according to project executives. This development has reignited discussion over the hazy boundaries between President Trump’s political duty and his family’s private economic interests.
