US President Donald Trump on Tuesday warmly welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a grand reception, marking his first White House visit in more than seven years.
The welcome ceremony included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the US Marine band.
Technically, it’s not a state visit, as the crown prince is not the head of state. But Prince Mohammed has taken charge of the day-to-day governing for his father, King Salman, 89, who has endured health problems in recent years.
The President hosted the Saudi de facto ruler seeking to deepen ties with Washington and further rehabilitate his global image after the 2018 killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi will likely be an afterthought as the two leaders unveil billions of dollars in deals and huddle with aides to discuss the tricky path ahead in a volatile Middle East, reported AP.
US intelligence concluded that bin Salman approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. However, Prince Mohammed, for his part, denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.
The talks between the two leaders are expected to advance security ties, civil nuclear cooperation and multibillion-dollar business deals with the kingdom. But there will likely be no major breakthrough on Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel, despite pressure from Trump for such a landmark move.
“President Trump believes all these steps bind the Saudis increasingly to us on a range of issues, ranging from security to the finance-AI-energy nexus. He wants them bound to us on these issues and not China,” Reuters quoted former US negotiator in the Middle East Dennis Ross, as saying.
A senior administration official said that the United States and Saudi Arabia are expected to announce deals related to defense sales, cooperation on civil nuclear energy and a multibillion dollar investment in US AI infrastructure.
Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince, White House, Jamal Khashoggi, deepen ties
#Trump #welcomes #Saudi #Crown #Prince #Mohammed #bin #Salman #White #House #grand #reception #Watch