Trump to host Saudi crown prince in first White House visit since Khashoggi’s death
Asked about meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House next week, President Trump said: “It’s more than a meeting; we’re honoring Saudi Arabia and the crown prince.” pic.twitter.com/O5xTBYDIbS
— Joseph Haboush (@jhaboush) November 15, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump will welcome Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House this week, beginning on Tuesday, November 18, with all the pomp of a state visit minus the official designation.
According to CNN, the prince will receive a morning welcome ceremony and an evening black-tie dinner.
“We’re more than meeting. We’re honoring Saudi Arabia, the crown prince,” Trump said on Friday while traveling to Florida.
Critical meeting after years of diplomatic strain
The event on Tuesday will mark the prince’s first White House visit since 2018, months before the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Even so, Trump kept communication lines open during his first term, and President Joe Biden also engaged with him despite earlier vows to isolate Riyadh.
The visit cannot be formally classified as a state visit because the crown prince is not Saudi Arabia’s head of state. That role remains with his father, the 89-year-old King Salman.
But Mohammed bin Salman, who runs the kingdom’s daily affairs, is treated by Washington as its de facto leader.
Plans include military bands, an Oval Office bilateral meeting, and a formal dinner coordinated by First Lady Melania Trump.
Executives, governors, and lawmakers make up much of the guest list, some of whom were personally invited by Trump.
Abraham Accords at the center of Trump’s diplomatic push
At the top of Trump’s agenda is a breakthrough he has long sought, which is Saudi Arabia formally normalizing relations with Israel.
The president hopes that the crown prince will join the Abraham Accords, a project he considers central to his foreign policy legacy.
“I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords fairly shortly,” Trump said on Friday.
Normalization talks were derailed after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the ensuing Gaza war. With a ceasefire in place, Trump reportedly believes that momentum can return.
But obstacles remain as Saudi Arabia insists on a “credible” path to Palestinian statehood, something current proposals do not fully guarantee.
A defense cooperation pact expected to be signed on Tuesday also reportedly falls short of a full treaty, which would require congressional approval.
US and Saudi officials have been working to finalize agreements on defense and security cooperation, including significant purchases of American fighter jets and weapons.
Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman held preparatory meetings in Washington last week with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth.
The crown prince’s visit will coincide with a major Saudi investment summit at the Kennedy Center aimed at deepening business links.
In May, Trump received an elaborate welcome in Riyadh as part of his first overseas trip of his second term, during which Saudi Arabia pledged to invest $600 billion in the US. Many of those agreements allegedly remain pending.
