Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is set to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday amid the rapid changes in the region and with Saudi analysts noting that it is taking place at a unique moment in the relations between Riyadh and Washington.
The leaders are expected to elevate bilateral ties between their countries to broader horizons and tackle regional crises they are keen on resolving through peaceful means.
Trump had visited Saudi Arabia in May on his first official visit since being reelected.
In recent weeks, top senior Saudi officials paid visits to Washington where they held talks aimed at shaping Saudi-American ties.
The officials included Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet, and National Security Adviser, Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha and Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
Discussions between the Saudi and American officials focused on the strategic partnership between their countries, regional and international developments of interest, bolstering strategic partnerships in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, expanding joint investments and boosting economic growth between them.
Saudi political analyst Moneef Ammash Al-Harbi told Asharq Al-Awsat that he expected political issues to top the Crown Prince’s Washington agenda.
Talks will focus on several issues in the Middle East, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the ceasefire in Gaza, supporting stability in Syria and the situations in Lebanon, Yemen and Sudan, he added.
Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump will also tackle deepening the strategic partnership between Riyadh and Washington, he went on to say.
They will also address the war between Russia and Ukraine, he said, noting that Saudi Arabia had played a major role as mediator whereby it hosted talks between the Moscow and Washington, and Kyiv and Washington earlier this year.
Saudi Arabia has succeeded in deepening its regional and international relations and adopting a policy of positive neutrality, remarked al-Harbi.
The policy has allowed the Kingdom to play a significant role in not just resolving regional issues, but international ones by acting as a trusted mediator, he stressed.
Saudi political analyst and expert on US relations Ahmed al-Ibrahim told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia is keen on acquiring the most advanced American weapons for its armed forces, as well as defense systems.
Riyadh and Washington are also keen on boosting economic ties and expanding direct Saudi investments in the US and American investments in the Kingdom, especially in AI, he stated. They are also eager to increase the trade exchange between them.
On political issues, Saudi Arabia will try to persuade the US to agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state and to backing the two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict – a view shared with several Arab and Islamic countries and others, he said.
The Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to the US could be the starting point for a possible US shift in this file, he predicted.
Moreover, al-Ibrahim expected the summit between Crown Prince Mohammed and Trump to yield extraordinary outcomes and major security, investment and technology agreements that will positively impact the region for years to come.
He noted that major circles in Washington believe that this visit in specific will not be just another in the series of mutual visits between Saudi and American leaders, but rather a total reboot that underscores Saudi Arabia’s weight and influence on the global arena.
Crown Prince Mohammed will visit Washington as the man of the future of the Middle East, he stressed.
