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President Donald Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House on Tuesday, marking his first visit to the White House in over seven years. The crown prince was greeted with a grand ceremony on the South Lawn, overseen by Trump.
The upcoming discussions are anticipated to strengthen security partnerships, advance civil nuclear cooperation, and secure multi-billion dollar commercial agreements with Saudi Arabia. However, significant progress on normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel is unlikely, despite Trump’s encouragement for such a historic development.
This visit emphasizes a critical alliance—between the world’s largest economy and its top oil exporter—that Trump has prioritized during his second term. The warm reception signals a recovery in relations that had previously faced serious strain.
Throughout the day, bin Salman will meet with Trump in the Oval Office, participate in a luncheon in the Cabinet Room, and attend a formal black-tie dinner—elements typically associated with a state visit. The White House is decorated with flags from both nations.
Trump aims to expand on the $600 billion Saudi investment commitment made during his trip to the kingdom in May, with plans to announce numerous targeted projects, according to a senior U.S. official. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are expected to finalize deals on defense sales, civil nuclear energy cooperation, and a large-scale investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, the official added, speaking anonymously.
On Monday, Trump indicated plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, which has requested approval to purchase 48 of these advanced aircraft. This would be the first sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia and would represent a noteworthy shift in U.S. policy. Such a deal could impact regional military dynamics and challenge the U.S. commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge, as the F-35 has previously been exclusive to Israel in the Middle East.
In addition to military hardware, bin Salman is seeking new security assurances. Experts believe Trump might issue an executive order establishing a defense agreement similar to the recent one with Qatar, though it would likely fall short of a formal NATO-style treaty that Saudis initially desired.
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