Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arrived at the White House in what marks the opening of a visit seen as pivotal in relations between the two countries and will include discussions on the future o f the Middle East, particularly developments in Gaza and Iran, as well as a series of major economic and defense agreements, foremost among them a potential sale of F-35 stealth aircraft to the Saudis.
This is bin Salman's first trip to Washington since the 2018 murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a harsh critic of the kingdom's leadership and a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, carried out by Saudi agents at the country's consulate in Istanbul. The incident triggered an unprecedented crisis and a period of strained ties, especially during Joe Biden's administration.
The Biden administration sought to sideline bin Salman over the Khashoggi affair, rendering him persona non grata in Washington, until Biden himself was forced to travel to Riyadh to ask the crown prince to increase oil production amid soaring global energy prices. That visit is mostly remembered for the president's awkward, forced fist bump with the crown prince.
Trump, by contrast, views the 40-year-old heir apparent as a central player in shaping the Middle East in the coming decades. The US president aims to return to the golden era of bilateral ties that characterized his first term, when the Saudis were a leading US ally in the region.
"They were great allies," Trump told reporters on Monday. "They certainly love us very much. Look at the situation in Iran, we destroyed their nuclear capability. Yes, I am saying we will do this," he added, referring to the plan to sell F-35 jets to Riyadh.
In Israel, the idea is being received with concern. Beyond the risks inherent in another country acquiring the most advanced aircraft available for sale, such a move would erode Israel's qualitative military edge, a core principle in Washington's relationship with Jerusalem.
Even within the Trump administration there are reservations. Some fear that the sale could open the door for China to access advanced American technology, according to a New York Times report this week. But the president views the deal as part of a broader effort to keep Saudi Arabia aligned with the US and not with China.
Trump is expected to press bin Salman to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel. The president sees Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the leader of the Muslim world, as the key to achieving broader regional stability. In recent weeks, Trump even predicted that once Saudi Arabia joins the accords, everyone in the Arab world will follow.
Saudi officials, however, have repeatedly made clear in recent months that they will not abandon their demand for a clear, credible and irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state, even if today's meeting may help restart negotiations between Jerusalem and Riyadh.
A series of economic deals
Beyond defense and diplomatic issues, the visit is expected to produce several economic agreements. The Saudis plan to announce multibillion-dollar investments in American artificial intelligence infrastructure. In addition, the two countries will release details of cooperation on civilian nuclear energy, a field Saudi Arabia seeks to advance. In the past, this issue was tied to normalization with Israel, but it will now proceed even without it. Trump hopes to finalize the Saudi commitment to invest 600 billion dollars, a pledge made during his 2017 visit to Riyadh.
Saudi media reported Monday that the crown prince is carrying a letter from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which he is expected to present to Trump. According to Al Arabiya, the letter was delivered to Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif during his recent visit to Iran and his meeting with the head of the pilgrimage organization, Ali Reza Rashidian.
Their meetings are expected to cover additional regional issues, including maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza and potential progress on phase two, shared concerns about Iran, and the civil war in Sudan. On Wednesday, an investment conference will be held at the Kennedy Center with the participation of senior executives from major American companies such as Salesforce, Qualcomm and Pfizer, where more deals are expected to be signed.
A Completely Different Atmosphere
As noted, this is the crown prince's first visit to the US since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. This time, with a change of administration, the atmosphere is entirely different. Washington is draped in US and Saudi flags, cannons have been prepared for a salute, an honor guard is in place, and a military flyover will take place above the South Lawn, along with a festive state dinner, signaling the renewed depth of the relationship.
President Donald Trump has returned to the White House and has made his ties with the Saudi prince one of the cornerstones of his foreign policy. According to reports, the president will announce major agreements during the visit, both defense-related and civilian, led by the American approval to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia, a precedent-setting decision that would make the kingdom the first Arab country to operate the most advanced system in the US arsenal.
The president is expected to clearly present his main objective: bringing Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords and achieving historic progress toward normalization with Israel. Trump said in recent days that he expects Saudi Arabia to join the accords and predicted that if it does, the entire Arab world will follow.
For now, however, bin Salman is maintaining the kingdom's established position. Saudi Arabia will not take a public step toward normalization without a credible pathway to establishing a Palestinian state.
The Israeli dimension has taken on added weight following the US-backed Security Council resolution adopted Monday, which approved Trump's 20-point plan for the day after in Gaza. The plan includes, in addition to references to an international force, the demilitarization of the Strip and the disarmament of the Hamas terrorist organization, language addressing self-determination and the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state in line with Saudi demands.
The visit is expected to include the signing of new defense agreements, significant Saudi investments in American industries, particularly in infrastructure, artificial intelligence and civilian nuclear cooperation. The Saudis are also expected to seek formal US security guarantees, similar to those granted to Qatar about six weeks ago. At the same time, Trump will try to advance another major initiative for the crown prince: bringing Saudi Arabia back into the IMEC project, a strategic trade corridor linking India, the Middle East and Europe, in which Israel also participates.
Despite the lingering sensitivities surrounding the Khashoggi murder, and despite US intelligence assessments concluding that the prince likely approved the operation, the issue no longer appears to be a central obstacle for the Trump administration. Bin Salman has previously denied ordering the killing but said he accepted responsibility as a leader.
The White House visit marks the return of Mohammed bin Salman to the global stage and the deepening of renewed ties between Washington and Riyadh. But for the White House, the real test lies elsewhere: whether the kingdom will move, even symbolically, toward formal normalization with Israel, a goal Trump sees as essential to expanding the Abraham Accords as part of his effort to establish what he calls lasting peace in the Middle East.
