The U.S.-Saudi Partnership Ahead of the Crown Prince’s Washington Visit

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Washington November 18 for an official working meeting with President Donald J. Trump. The Saudi leader’s visit will be his second with Trump as president, seven years after his 2018 trip. This trip follows Trump’s May visit to Saudi Arabia, the president’s first major trip abroad in his second term. Discussions are expected to cover a wide range of issues, including defense cooperation, advanced technology partnerships, and a potential agreement granting Saudi Arabia access to U.S. technology for a civilian nuclear program.

Will the Saudi crown prince’s trip mark a shift in the U.S.-Saudi strategic partnership? What are each leader’s priorities going into this meeting, and how do domestic agendas – Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia and Trump’s “America First” – shape their calculus? Will the current Israel-Hamas cease-fire and the postwar reconstruction debate in Gaza overshadow the U.S.-Saudi dialogue? What could a new U.S.-Saudi defense agreement look like, and would it redefine the parameters of U.S. security guarantees in the Gulf? How significant would a U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement be for the kingdom’s diversification plans, and what would be its regional implications? What are the implications of closer U.S.-Saudi cooperation on advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, space, and defense innovation?

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