Ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East on Tuesday, officials in Riyadh believe his administration has significantly shifted toward their current stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Khalid Manzlawi, Saudi Arabia's deputy permanent representative to the Arab League for political affairs, recently stated that "there is alignment in the visions of Saudi Arabia and the US on the need to reach a comprehensive and just solution based on the two-state formula, ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. This would be a key to regional stability."
According to Saudi commentator Salman al-Ansari, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to reciprocate the unprecedented support he received during Trump's first term, which included US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. In a recent op-ed, al-Ansari argued that Trump "now clearly understands Saudi Arabia's position on the importance of resolving the Palestinian issue for achieving sustainable regional peace."
Currently, Saudi Arabia conditions any normalization with Israel on a clear pathway to establishing a Palestinian state. This stipulation was reportedly conveyed to senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh during meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. According to the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds, the crown prince expects Washington to accept this demand.
Trade ties take center stage
Nevertheless, the main focus of the US president's visit is expected to be trade relations between the global superpower and the Gulf states. Concurrently, Riyadh is hosting an investment forum attended by top executives from major US corporations.
Another key issue is Saudi Arabia's ambition to develop a civilian nuclear program. While the US previously conditioned such a program on normalization with Israel, Reuters has reported that this requirement has been dropped. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who visited Riyadh last month, confirmed that the two countries are moving toward an agreement to develop the program.
As with every US presidential visit to Saudi Arabia, oil prices are also expected to feature prominently. The Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed earlier this month to increase oil production, although this could change depending on internal considerations within the kingdom.
Trump is also expected to propose a massive arms deal to Saudi Arabia. Reuters reported that the deal could exceed $100 billion in value. The Pentagon recently announced its approval of the sale of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia in a deal worth $3.5 billion.
Jet under review
Meanwhile, Qatar has responded to a report by ABC News claiming that a luxury Qatari Boeing 747-8 aircraft would be gifted to President Trump for use as the new Air Force One. Ali al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar's Office of International Communication, told Politico that the reports were "inaccurate."
However, al-Ansari confirmed that the possibility of temporarily transferring the plane for presidential use is being reviewed by Qatar's and the US's defense ministries. He emphasized that the matter is under legal examination and that no decision has been made.
A US official familiar with the plan confirmed that discussions have taken place in which Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani may gift the plane to Trump for use as Air Force One. A former US official said the talks have involved Qatar's defense ministry and the Pentagon.
