The Prince and the President: US-Saudi Relations in Focus

Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy is not only key to its quest for leadership in its immediate region and beyond, but also central to the objectives of Vision 2030 — one of which is to project a modern image of the Kingdom. Chief among these is Riyadh’s partnership with the United States, which has transcended the security dimension. US President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh earlier in May concluded with a flurry of deals ranging from real estate projects to AI and tech investments. But defence purchases, particularly American products, remain high priorities, as reports over a potential sale of F-35s have shown. Where regional affairs are concerned, the Palestinian issue and the spectre of an Israeli hegemon will also likely top discussions when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman travels to the United States in November — his first visit there since 2018. Is there a reason behind the timing for the Saudi Crown Prince’s trip to Washington? Is normalisation with Israel still on the cards and what are the conditions? How much further will Riyadh go to diversify its international partnerships, whether in the security domain or otherwise? The Middle East hosted experts on Saudi foreign policy, Aziz Alghashian and Umer Karim, to address the above issues and more.