In 2018, after the brutal assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, leader of Saudi Arabia, became, for a short period, something akin to an international pariah. Criticized as a despot and alleged murderer, also implicated in other cases of spying on Western political and business leaders, he was censured and isolated. But his country is too important, economically and geostrategically, and the world quickly forgot. In 2022, Joe Biden went to Riyadh and smilingly fist-bumped with Bin Salman in complicity. Donald Trump followed suit this spring, and today, amid a rebalancing process in the Middle East, he has welcomed him with great fanfare at the White House, completely rehabilitating his image and paving the way for his future as a key statesman in the region.
"He is a great friend, a highly respected person. I am very proud of the work he has done. What he has done is incredible in terms of human rights," the American said in a media appearance, despite the CIA, under his command in the first term, concluding that the prince ordered Khashoggi's death, who was dismembered in Istanbul. Or that organizations like Human Rights Watch have reported an unprecedented increase in executions this year, with 241 people in the first seven months of the year. "It is an honor to have you here." He insisted, confirming the sale of F-35 jets or nuclear technology. "Today is an important moment in our history. We believe in what you are doing as president, it is the foundation for creating jobs and achieving peace," Bin Salman responded gratefully.
The issue of the murdered journalist has caused a moment of tension in the Oval Office, after a question from an ABC reporter. The president, discrediting the television network as fake news, immediately jumped to the defense of the prince. "You mention someone who was extremely controversial. Many people did not like that man you are talking about. Like it or not, things happen. But he [Bin Salman] knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest," he reproached angrily. The Saudi, however, wanted to respond. "A huge mistake, and we are doing everything possible to ensure it does not happen again," he said, but linking the information to the figure of Osama Bin Laden and attempts to sabotage relations with the US, something that "benefits terrorists and extremists."
The prince is a key piece in the US plans. Saudi Arabia has been for over 70 years, since Eisenhower and under Republican or Democratic administrations. For oil, but also for the fight against terrorism, intelligence cooperation, Gulf security, with its military bases. But the crown prince is especially crucial for this administration's strategy, from the confrontation with Iran (historical enemy of the Alawites who in 2023 signed an agreement under the auspices of China) to the normalization of relations with Israel, something that seemed imminent until the attacks on October 7 of that same year and the subsequent war that destroyed Gaza.
Washington wants its ally to join the Abraham Accords, something extremely delicate and difficult without Israel making some gesture or promise towards a future Palestinian state, as reiterated from the Oval Office, calling for a "clear path to two states."
"Today, the kingdom is more prosperous, more self-assured, and more diplomatically firm than ever in its modern history. After years of reputational damage due to the war in Yemen and the assassination of Khashoggi, Bin Salman appears politically stronger as the future leader of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, he has repositioned the kingdom as a guarantor of greater regional stability. His mission in Washington is to turn the strategic interdependence between the United States and Saudi Arabia into a formalized political and defense framework capable of enduring beyond US electoral cycles. His main priority is a binding defense agreement that makes it clear that any major attack on Saudi territory constitutes a red line for Washington," explains Sanam Vakil, an expert at Chatam House, in a recent analysis.
Today's visit, with military honors, a Marine band, and a flyover of jets over the city included, comes after President Trump's tour of the Persian Gulf in May. Riyadh was, not by chance, his first trip abroad in this term and ended with promises of investments of up to 600 billion dollars, as well as a historic arms sale agreement to Saudi Arabia.
The American has confirmed that he will authorize the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom, a highly controversial measure. "Yes, we will sell them. They will buy them from Lockheed", he said. This is very risky not only because it would alter the traditional balance of power in the region (until now, Israel has been the only recipient of cutting-edge technology) but also because there are very serious warnings that this would almost immediately place the most secret or delicate details of its weaponry in China's hands.
Something minor for the administration compared to the investment promises, as in the Oval Office, Bin Salman has raised the investment promises to a trillion dollars, 400 billion more than discussed in May in Riyadh and almost the size of its entire Sovereign Fund.
The relationship between both leaders is more than good and close. The American, proudly, showed his guest, upon arrival, the gallery of presidential portraits, in which he replaced the photo of his predecessor, Joe Biden, with an automatic signature device. It is customary for international leaders to pass through the Oval Office or even have lunch right away. But the entire Tuesday agenda of the president revolves around Bin Salman. High-level greeting, meeting, lunch, reception, and dinner. Additionally, on Wednesday, both will participate with over 400 CEOs of Saudi and American companies in an investment forum at the Kennedy Center.
Trump personally has many economic interests. From golf tournaments to a mega real estate project, and he has denied any irregularities, insisting that his family "does business" and that he is no longer involved in day-to-day operations. Bin Salman, who extends a hand to Washington and the other to Moscow and Beijing, also has economic interests, starting with nuclear technology. His Saudi Vision 2030 aims to reduce dependence on oil revenues and attract investment by modernizing the entire economic fabric. And for that, the US is the decisive factor.
"For the prince, this visit could well focus on trying a different kind of normalization, not with Israel, but with the United States. Perhaps he wants to demonstrate that, since his last visit in 2018, he has overcome ostracism and has been completely rehabilitated, leaving behind Khashoggi's murder and Saudi Arabia's terrible human rights record. And as the president and the crown prince sit down to a formal dinner on Tuesday night, surrounded by all the pomp of a State visit, there will be no doubt, at least for Trump, that MBS has succeeded," points out Aaron David Miller, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a former diplomat with 25 years of experience in the Middle East at the State Department.