RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler will meet US President Donald Trump during a three-day visit to Washington next month, a source close to the government told AFP on Tuesday.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will arrive on November 17 and discuss political, economic and security files with Trump the following day, the source said on condition of anonymity.
The 40-year-old has not visited the US since the 2018 murder and dismemberment of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
In 2021, Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden declassified an intelligence report that suggested the crown prince approved the operation — an allegation Saudi authorities deny.
The crown prince’s trip was revealed days into a fragile Gaza ceasefire brokered by Trump that was warmly welcomed by Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam and the world’s biggest oil exporter.
Some media reports suggest Saudi Arabia is hoping for a US security agreement after Trump’s executive order this month pledging to defend its neighbour Qatar from attacks.
Before the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, Saudi Arabia held tentative talks with the US on normalising ties with Israel in return for security and nuclear energy pledges.
However, Riyadh halted talks on the so-called “mega-deal” as the process as the war took hold, insisting it would not recognise Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
The visit by the crown prince, often known by his initials MBS, follows Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia in May during the first foreign tour of his second term.
Trump was treated to a lavish welcome by the Saudis, who promised $600 billion in deals ranging from defence to artificial intelligence.
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