Saudi crown prince to visit U.S. for the first time since Khashoggi scandal

U.S. President Donald Trump is acceptable to conscionable with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman connected Tuesday, with the leaders expected to sermon the deepening of commercialized and exertion ties, artificial intelligence, information and atomic energy.

The travel follows Trump's sojourn to Saudi Arabia successful May successful which the kingdom made a $600 cardinal commercialized and concern committedness to the U.S. Analysts accidental Trump volition beryllium looking to cement those pledges this week.

"The United States wants Saudi Arabia to acquisition much of its goods and services and summation investments successful U.S. companies, and Saudi Arabia is seeking greater entree to U.S. tech and innovation to enactment its ambitious Vision 2030 reforms," Tim Callen, visiting chap astatine the Arab Gulf States Institute, said up of the meeting.

The U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum scheduled connected Nov. 19 volition beryllium an accidental to seal much economical deals betwixt the 2 countries, Callen said, noting that Saudi Arabia wants a two-way thoroughfare with Washington erstwhile it comes to investments.

"There is small uncertainty that Saudi investments and purchases of U.S. products volition increase. However, it whitethorn beryllium that U.S. investments into Saudi Arabia spot the strongest maturation successful the coming years fixed the improved concern clime successful the kingdom, opportunities provided by Vision 2030, and availability of reliable low-cost vigor and abundant onshore to enactment the enlargement of AI and related activities of U.S. tech companies," Callen said.

The sojourn to the U.S. volition beryllium the archetypal undertaken by Saudi Arabia's defacto ruler since 2018, erstwhile Saudi agents killed a journalist and high-profile professional of the Saudi regime, Jamal Khashoggi, successful a Saudi consulate successful Istanbul.

Mohammed bin Salman, oregon MBS arsenic he's wide known, denied ordering the sidesplitting but a U.S. quality study concluded the crown prince had approved the operation.

Since the wide ungraded astir the killing, and disapproval of Saudi's grounds erstwhile it comes to sex equality and quality rights generally, the kingdom has looked to rehabilitate its planetary image. It has done this predominantly done looking to broker bid agreements successful the Middle East, and a propulsion to big blockbuster sports events, specified arsenic the 2034 World Cup successful men's soccer.

Having seen its determination nemesis Iran mostly weakened arsenic a effect of U.S. and Israeli associated strikes connected the republic, Saudi Arabia has seen its ain dominance turn and has positioned itself arsenic a cardinal strategical state to the U.S. successful the region.