Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump on his first visit to Washington in eight years.
The agenda for the MBS-Trump meeting reportedly includes U.S.-Saudi security relations, arms deals, trade and investment, and Trump’s ambitions to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords and normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
This high-profile visit could shape Saudi-US relations and the region for years to come. Here’s what you need to know:
When is the meeting and what is the schedule?
The meeting will be held on November 18th in Washington, DC, the US capital.
President Trump is reportedly doing everything he can to make a good impression on the crown prince, greeting him with a lavish welcoming ceremony as he steps off the plane.
A sit-down meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office will be at the top of the agenda, followed by a ceremony and formal luncheon to sign the agreement between the two countries.
MBS is also expected to speak to members of Congress and American businessmen invited to the White House, likely at a black tie dinner in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday night.
What is MBS’s agenda during this visit?
Mainly trade and investment, arms deals, and defense cooperation.
On Monday, the day before MBS’s arrival, President Trump announced that he would approve the sale of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a long-sought request by Saudi Arabia.
According to reports, the multibillion-dollar contract is for up to 48 fighter jets and will make Saudi Arabia the first Arab country to possess the advanced weaponry.
Saudi Arabia has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States, and the trip is expected to see further announcements, likely on artificial intelligence and civil nuclear energy.
President bin Salman is likely seeking security guarantees that Saudi Arabia feels the United States does not adequately meet, as increasing Israeli aggression in the region, backed by the United States, puts the region at risk.
What does President Trump want to appeal to?
President Trump has long prioritized Saudi investment in the United States, and it is likely to be high on his agenda.
He also frequently says he wants Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords. The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements brokered by President Trump that saw Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates normalize diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020.
Saudi Arabia insists it will not consider such a move until a credible path to Palestinian statehood is established.
On Monday night, the United Nations Security Council, hosted by the United States, passed a resolution setting out the conditions that the Palestinian Authority must meet, at the end of which “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible path to self-determination and statehood for the Palestinian people.”
What is the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US?
Relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States date back nearly a century and mainly revolve around oil and defense.
The American company Standard Oil of California (later part of Chevron) was the first international company to be granted exploration rights in Saudi Arabia in 1933, a year after Saudi Arabia’s independence, culminating in the creation of the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco).
In 1951, the Saudi-U.S. Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement went into effect, providing U.S. military protection for Saudi Arabia in exchange for a stable oil supply.
From 1971 to 1972, Saudi Arabia’s arms purchases from the United States increased from $14.8 million to $459 million, according to a 1977 report by the U.S. General Accounting Office.
The surge in arms sales coincided with a boom in Saudi oil exports, which rose from $655 million in 1965 to $26.7 billion in 1975, according to Rice University’s Baker Institute.
Saudi Arabia’s arms purchases from the United States continue to increase, with the country pledging to buy $142 billion worth of weapons and defense equipment this year.
The assassination of Saudi critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 sparked a rift in the close relationship during former US President Joe Biden’s administration. MBS denied ordering the assassination, but accepted responsibility as the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia.
However, when Russia invaded Ukraine and fuel prices rose, Mr. Biden took a turn and visited Saudi Arabia, which was widely reported by MBS.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has diversified its trading partners and avoided risks through close ties with China.
However, Trump and MBS have a warm relationship. During President Trump’s Gulf tour in May, Saudi Arabia announced a $600 billion investment in the United States.
But Saudi Arabia may still be risk-averse. In September, shortly after Israel’s attack on Qatar, Saudi Arabia signed a defense agreement with Pakistan.
The move was significant because Saudi Arabia relied heavily on the United States for its defense for much of its existence.
What else are they trading?
Trade between the two countries has surged in multiple areas since Saudi Arabia expanded its investment and trade with the United States to $600 billion in January.
Saudi Arabia plans to invest $20 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) and AI data centers in the United States, according to an official statement and breakdown from the White House.
Additionally, American companies including Hill International, Jacobs and Parsons have won bids to build huge infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia.
These projects include King Salman International Airport and other $2 billion mega infrastructure projects.
However, Saudi Arabia is still pursuing a comprehensive security agreement with the United States that would require the United States to actively come to its defense if Saudi Arabia is threatened.
What are the most important results?
The visit shows Saudi Arabia is welcomed by the White House and is an important ally for the Trump administration.
Although Saudi Arabia remains risk-averse on security and trade fronts, the United States remains its key partner and protector.
The United States is unlikely to fight normalization with Saudi Arabia, but it also may not be able to get the full security agreement Saudi Arabia is seeking.
However, MBS’s visit could have implications for the Middle East. President Trump considers MBS an ally, and his influence was instrumental in Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria, meaning MBS could once again take the reins on regional issues such as Palestine, Lebanon, and, of course, Syria.
