JAKARTA – President Donald Trump is preparing to receive Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House this week with the full splendor of a state visit, according to sources familiar with the arrangements. The elaborate reception will include a morning welcome ceremony and a formal evening dinner.

“We’re more than meeting,” Trump stated late Friday while traveling to Florida for the weekend. “We’re honoring Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince.”

Although the White House is organizing a lavish reception, the visit cannot officially be designated as a state visit since Prince bin Salman is not Saudi Arabia’s head of state—a role held by his 89-year-old father, King Salman. However, the crown prince has taken on virtually all day-to-day governance responsibilities for the kingdom and represents the country at summits and diplomatic events.

First White House Visit in Over Seven Years

Tuesday’s meetings will mark Prince bin Salman’s first White House visit in more than seven years. Trump has been working to build a strong relationship with the kingdom’s de facto leader, hoping to persuade him to establish diplomatic relations with Israel—a major objective that would significantly advance the president’s signature Abraham Accords initiative.

“The Abraham Accords will be a part we’re going to be discussing,” Trump said Friday. “I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords fairly shortly.”

Shadow of the Khashoggi Killing

The prince’s last Washington visit occurred in 2018, just months before the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. A subsequent CIA assessment concluded that the prince likely ordered the assassination, although he has consistently denied any involvement.

During his first term, Trump never completely severed ties with the crown prince, though no White House invitation was extended. Even President Joe Biden, who campaigned on making Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over its human rights record, later visited Riyadh and shared a fist bump with Prince bin Salman.

Full Diplomatic Pageantry Planned

With Tuesday’s visit, any appearance of strained US-Saudi relations seems to have evaporated. The schedule includes a welcome ceremony featuring military bands, a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, and a black-tie dinner in the evening.

Initial invitations have been distributed to a guest list primarily comprising chief executives, along with lawmakers and governors—some personally invited by Trump himself, according to sources familiar with the planning. First Lady Melania Trump will coordinate the event, as is customary for all state visits.

Trump has not yet hosted a state visit during his second term. During his first administration, he broke tradition by not holding a state dinner in his first year, though he later hosted the president of France and the prime minister of Australia in 2018 and 2019.

Investment Summit and Business Opportunities

Saudi Arabia is also organizing an investment summit to coincide with the crown prince’s Washington trip. The Kennedy Center event, scheduled for the day after the White House visit, aims to connect American and Saudi business leaders for potential financial partnerships.

In May, Trump visited Saudi Arabia for the first state visit of his second term, receiving an elaborate welcome that included a fighter jet escort, an honor guard with golden swords, and a fleet of Arabian horses accompanying his motorcade. The president has pursued deeper relationships with other Gulf states during his tenure, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Prior to the May visit, Saudi Arabia pledged to invest $600 billion in the United States. Trump brought several American executives to Riyadh and signed multiple agreements, though many have yet to be fully executed.

Defense Deals and Strategic Cooperation

Ahead of Tuesday’s meetings, US and Saudi officials have been working to finalize agreements on defense and security cooperation, including substantial new purchases of American-made fighter jets and weapons, according to a US official.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, the crown prince’s younger brother, was in Washington a week before the visit for discussions with top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth.

“We explored ways to bolster our strategic cooperation. We also addressed regional and international developments,” Khalid bin Salman wrote afterward.

Push for Israel-Saudi Normalization

At the top of Trump’s agenda will be discussions about Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel—a goal he believes is achievable following his role in brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The October 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel and the subsequent war largely suspended normalization discussions that began during Trump’s first term and progressed during Biden’s presidency. The framework under consideration before the attacks included a US defense treaty with Saudi Arabia and assistance in developing a civilian nuclear program in exchange for establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.

Biden and many of his senior advisers have stated they believe the October 7 attack was partially intended to disrupt the normalization talks. With a ceasefire now in effect, Trump believes an agreement can be reached quickly.

“I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in,” Trump told Fox News last month. “I think they’re going to all go in very soon.”

Remaining Obstacles to Normalization

Nevertheless, some challenges remain in securing the crown prince’s commitment. While he and Trump are expected to sign a defense cooperation agreement Tuesday, it falls short of the treaty discussed in earlier phases of normalization talks, the US official noted. A formal treaty would require congressional approval.

Saudi Arabia has also stated that a condition for normalizing ties with Israel is a “credible” and “irreversible” pathway to Palestinian statehood—something the Gaza plan Trump helped broker does not fully provide.

Despite these obstacles, American officials remain optimistic about making progress on the issue during Tuesday’s meeting.

Kushner’s Role in Preparation

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and one of the Abraham Accords architects, visited Riyadh last week for discussions with the crown prince ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, according to a White House official and a source familiar with the matter. Kushner has maintained a close personal relationship with the Saudi prince and has been deployed multiple times in recent months to leverage his Middle East connections to support Trump’s agenda and build upon the Abraham Accords.

Personal Financial Interests Add Complexity

The visit’s sensitive dynamics are further complicated by Trump’s personal financial interests in the region. The Trump Organization, managed by the president’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, is involved in major real estate projects in Saudi Arabia. Kushner also maintains significant business ties to the country, with his investment fund, Affinity Partners, having raised billions of dollars in capital from Saudi Arabia.

Original Article:

CNN. (2025, November 17). Trump pulling out all the stops to welcome Saudi crown prince for first White House visit since Khashoggi killing. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/16/politics/saudi-crown-prince-trump-white-house