Trump hosts Saudi crown prince for pomp-filled visit and key deal-making talks

President Donald Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House on Tuesday, as the Saudi de facto ruler seeks to rehabilitate his global image following the 2018 murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi and deepen relations with Washington.

During his first White House visit in over seven years, the crown prince was met with a grand display of pomp, presided over by Trump on the South Lawn. This included a military honour guard, a cannon salute, and a flyover by U.S. warplanes.

The two leaders are expected to discuss strengthening security ties, civil nuclear cooperation, and lucrative business deals with the Kingdom. However, despite Trump's pressure, there is unlikely to be a major breakthrough on Saudi Arabia’s normalisation of relations with Israel.

This meeting highlights the crucial relationship between the world’s largest economy and the top oil exporter, which Trump has made a priority in his second term, especially as the international outcry over Khashoggi’s murder fades.

U.S. intelligence concluded that bin Salman approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, although the crown prince denied ordering the operation, accepting responsibility in his capacity as the kingdom’s de facto ruler.

The warm reception in Washington signals the recovery of relations that were strained following the killing. Trump greeted bin Salman with a handshake and a smile on the red carpet, while military personnel lined the perimeter. The limousine was escorted up the South Drive by a mounted honour guard, and the two leaders looked skyward as fighter jets flew overhead before entering the White House.

Before their talks, the two leaders chatted as Trump gave bin Salman a tour of the presidential portraits outside the Oval Office. The day’s diplomacy also included a lunch in the Cabinet Room and a formal black-tie dinner, providing much of the feel of a state visit. U.S. and Saudi flags decorated the lamp posts in front of the White House.

Trump aims to build on a $600 billion Saudi investment pledge made during his visit to the Kingdom in May, with an announcement expected on numerous targeted projects, according to a senior U.S. official.

U.S. and Saudi officials are poised to finalise deals on defence sales, enhanced cooperation on civil nuclear energy, and a multibillion-dollar investment in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure. Trump confirmed that the U.S. would sell 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, marking a significant shift in policy and the first sale of these advanced aircraft to the Kingdom. This move could alter the military balance in the Middle East and challenge the U.S.’s commitment to maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge,” as Israel has previously been the sole Middle Eastern country to possess the F-35.

In addition to military equipment, the Saudi leader is seeking new security guarantees. Experts expect Trump to issue an executive order establishing a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, though it is expected to fall short of the NATO-style treaty the Kingdom initially sought.

Eyeing China, former U.S. negotiator Dennis Ross, now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted that Trump is keen to foster a multifaceted relationship with Saudi Arabia that keeps it aligned with the U.S. rather than China. "President Trump believes these steps bind the Saudis increasingly to us on a range of issues, from security to the finance-AI-energy nexus," Ross explained.

Trump is also expected to continue pressing bin Salman on Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Abraham Accords, urging the Kingdom to normalise relations with Israel. However, Saudi Arabia has been hesitant to take such a significant step without a clear path to Palestinian statehood, a goal now overshadowed by the ongoing Gaza conflict.

During his first term, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords agreements between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan in 2020. In recent weeks, Kazakhstan has also agreed to join. Trump views Saudi Arabia’s inclusion in the Accords as essential for broader Middle East peace.

Jonathan Panikoff, a former deputy national intelligence officer on the Middle East now at the Atlantic Council, suggested that while Trump will push bin Salman to move towards normalising ties with Israel, any lack of progress in that area is unlikely to impede the expansion of U.S.-Saudi security relations. "Trump’s desire for investment into the U.S., which the crown prince has previously pledged, could help pave the way for enhanced defence ties, even as the president presses for Israeli-Saudi normalisation," Panikoff stated.

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