WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is set to visit the White House on November 18 for an official working meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, a White House official confirmed on Monday.
The upcoming visit is expected to focus on regional diplomacy, defence cooperation, and U.S.-Saudi ties, which have deepened under Trump’s administration. It will mark one of the most high-profile engagements between Washington and Riyadh since Trump’s return to office.
Push for Saudi Role in Abraham Accords
The meeting comes as President Trump intensifies efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations. During his first term, Trump brokered historic deals in 2020 with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, reshaping Middle Eastern alliances.
However, Saudi Arabia has so far refrained from signing on, insisting that progress toward Palestinian statehood must precede any normalization with Israel.
In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” aired on Sunday, Trump said he believes that Riyadh will eventually join the accords, calling it “only a matter of time.”
Defence Pact on the Agenda
Another major topic under discussion is a potential U.S.-Saudi defence agreement. The Financial Times recently reported that both sides are exploring the possibility of signing such a pact during bin Salman’s visit, although the final details remain uncertain.
A senior Trump administration official told Reuters that “there are discussions about signing something when the crown prince comes, but details are in flux.”
Saudi Arabia has reportedly sought formal U.S. security guarantees to defend the kingdom against external threats, as well as greater access to advanced American weaponry.
Longstanding Strategic Partnership
Saudi Arabia remains one of the United States’ largest arms customers, with bilateral relations built on a longstanding exchange: oil supplies from Riyadh in return for American military protection.
During Trump’s visit to Riyadh in May, Washington signed an arms package deal worth nearly $142 billion, reinforcing defence and economic ties between the two nations.
Analysts say the upcoming visit could further cement the U.S.-Saudi strategic partnership, while also shaping the region’s diplomatic landscape — particularly on issues involving Iran, Israel, and broader Middle East stability.
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