Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to press for firm security guarantees from the United States as President Donald Trump pushes for Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel during the crown prince’s first visit to Washington in seven years.
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According to regional analysts, Riyadh is unlikely to agree to normalisation at this stage. Prince Mohammed’s priority has shifted toward strengthening defence cooperation with the US, particularly after Israeli strikes on Qatar in September raised alarms across the Gulf.
“For the Saudis, the goal of this trip appears to be threefold: to elevate, consolidate, and facilitate security and defence cooperation,” wrote Aziz Alghashian of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
The 40-year-old de facto ruler’s visit marks his first trip to the US since the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, an incident that temporarily strained bilateral ties.
Prince Mohammed has maintained a warm personal relationship with Trump, strengthened by the former president’s lavish reception in Riyadh and the announcement of $600 billion in investment pledges during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May. The three-day trip will begin Monday, with a meeting scheduled between the two leaders on Tuesday.
A US–Saudi investment forum focusing on energy and artificial intelligence will also be held in Washington during the visit.
Israel Normalisation Pressure
Ahead of the crown prince’s arrival, Trump has publicly expressed hope that Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords — a key diplomatic objective for Washington. However, Riyadh has consistently maintained that recognition of Israel is contingent on the creation of a viable Palestinian state.
“A Palestinian state is a prerequisite for regional integration,” said Manal Radwan, head of Saudi Arabia’s negotiating team, during the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. “We have said it many times, and I don’t think that we have received a full understanding, because we keep being asked this question.”
Efforts toward normalisation were halted after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Push for Security Guarantees
Instead of normalisation, Prince Mohammed is expected to seek enhanced security assurances from Washington. Qatar recently secured an executive order signed by Trump pledging US defence support after the Israeli strike — a model that other Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, are keen to replicate.
Riyadh is also expected to push for advanced weaponry, including F-35 fighter jets, and greater access to high-tech chips critical to its artificial intelligence and technological ambitions.
Regional Dynamics and US Expectations
As Saudi Arabia pushes forward with its Vision 2030 economic transformation plan, the kingdom has sought to lower regional tensions, including with historic rival Iran.
“Direct negotiation between Iran and the United States is essential to resolve the nuclear file,” Radwan noted, adding that Riyadh would continue to serve as a mediator.
According to Andreas Krieg of King’s College London, the stakes are high: “At issue is whether the Crown Prince can formalise a durable US–Saudi framework that delivers credible deterrence against Iran and underwrites Vision 2030.”
In return, analysts believe Washington will press Riyadh for stricter limitations on Chinese partnerships and gradual, tangible progress toward eventual normalisation with Israel.
A ‘Bromance’ With Political Impact
Trump’s close relationship with Prince Mohammed — often described as a political “bromance” — has already had major geopolitical consequences. Trump recently claimed that the crown prince persuaded him to lift sanctions on Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad after 14 years of civil war. That move paved the way for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, and later to the White House.
