WASHINGTON (AP) – It’s not an official state visit, but the White House is preparing to welcome Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next week in state-style pomp.
The crown prince’s day at the White House next Tuesday will begin with an arrival ceremony on the expansive South Lawn, followed by remarks on the South Portico, a senior White House official said.
Trump will then hold bilateral talks in the Oval Office, followed by a signing and lunch in the Cabinet Office where the U.S. and Saudi Arabia will formalize multiple economic and defense agreements, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s plans.
Later in the evening, the White House will host an East Room dinner hosted and planned by First Lady Melania Trump.
The official said that since Prince Mohammed is not technically a head of state, his visit was being carried out as an official working visit.
On Wednesday, dozens of CEOs are scheduled to attend a meeting of the U.S.-Saudi Business Council at the Kennedy Center, an arts institution currently led and controlled by Trump supporters. The US president’s attendance at the business meeting has not yet been confirmed, but he is likely to attend, a senior White House official said.
Relations with Gulf states have become a top foreign policy priority for President Trump during his second term. His first major overseas trip was to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, where President Trump was welcomed with a highly unusual Air Force One escort by Saudi Arabian F-15s and a state dinner at a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“I truly believe we like each other very much.” President Trump said When he met with Crown Prince Mohammed at the Royal Palace in Riyadh. President Trump later described Prince Mohammed as an “incredible man” and “a friend of mine.”
It will also be the crown prince’s first visit to the United States since Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, during the first term of the Trump administration. U.S. intelligence agencies said Crown Prince Mohammed likely ordered the killing, which resulted in sanctions against several Saudi officials. He has denied any involvement, and the Trump and Biden administrations have since worked to mend relations with Saudi Arabia.
