Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to meet at White House amid diplomatic shifts in region

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives successful Washington connected Tuesday for his archetypal White House sojourn successful 7 years, marking a pivotal infinitesimal to rebuild U.S.-Saudi ties and fortify a concern that remains cardinal to American information and vigor interests.

Ahead of the meeting, a radical of 9/11 survivors, archetypal responders and victims’ families urged President Donald Trump to clasp Saudi Arabia accountable for its alleged relation successful the 2001 attacks. This follows a United States national territory tribunal judge, George B. Daniels, ruling against Saudi Arabia's efforts to disregard a suit brought against it by the families of 9/11 victims, which alleged the state was enactment to the attacks.

The sojourn comes arsenic Trump has publically confirmed the United States volition merchantability F-35 combatant jets to Saudi Arabia, telling reporters connected Monday, "I volition accidental that we volition beryllium doing that. We’ll beryllium selling the F-35s," a determination that instantly places Israel’s qualitative subject borderline and the region’s aboriginal defence architecture astatine the halfway of the conversation.

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On Monday, President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. volition merchantability F-35s to Saudi Arabia. (U.S. Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Ali Stewart)

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital that "President Trump looks guardant to welcoming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to the White House, wherever the 2 leaders volition enactment successful an authoritative moving visit. Thanks to our Dealmaker-in-Chief, the United States secured $600 cardinal successful historical investments during the President’s sojourn to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and Americans tin expect much bully deals for our state spanning technology, manufacturing, captious minerals, defense, and more."

A elder medication official, speaking connected background, told Fox News Digital that the expected agreements volition see a multibillion-dollar concern successful America’s AI infrastructure, enhanced practice connected civilian atomic vigor and defence income aimed astatine strengthening defence practice betwixt the 2 countries.

The authoritative added that the sojourn volition besides absorption connected the fulfillment of the Saudis’ $600 cardinal concern pledge done dozens of targeted investments crossed cardinal U.S. sectors.

In Saudi Arabia, the sojourn is being seen arsenic historic. Aziz Alghashian, a lecturer successful planetary relations astatine Naif Arab University successful Riyadh, said determination is "a batch of excitement. The Saudis person said they’re not isolated successful the region… this is backmost done unfastened doors and the beforehand doorway again." He said the infinitesimal reflects a broader displacement successful however Saudis recognize their country’s spot successful the world. According to Alghashian, Trump’s repeatedly lukewarm comments astir the crown prince and the kingdom besides lend to a consciousness that Riyadh is re-entering Washington connected beardown footing.

The sojourn by MBS volition beryllium his archetypal White House quality since the 2018 sidesplitting of writer Jamal Khashoggi, which U.S. quality assessed helium approved, a complaint helium denies.

Jacob Olidort, manager for American Security astatine the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital that "Saudi Arabia is 1 of the apical partners of ours successful the region," calling the travel "well overdue, a reset of relations." 

At the bosom of the sojourn is the emerging U.S.-Saudi information pact. Alghashian described its intent successful 3 words: "elevate, facilitate and consolidate." 

In his view, the statement is meant "to elevate the Saudi-American relationship," transforming it from what helium called a "strategic partnership" into a much formalized information alignment. Although not a afloat treaty, which Riyadh had antecedently pursued, the pact would inactive correspond the astir important upgrade to the narration successful decades. He said the displacement besides has a home governmental rationale successful Washington, arguing that being included successful an "alliance" class "helps marque Saudi Arabia go much of a bipartisan issue, and not conscionable needfully a Trump legacy."

U.S. and Saudi flags flutter connected the large highways of Riyadh up of the accomplishment of U.S. President Donald Trump to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, connected May 12, 2025. (Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters)

Alghashian added that Saudi Arabia wants to finalize arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable now. "The Saudis… consciousness urgency to get arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin from the Trump medication earlier these deals get analyzable successful the adjacent administration," helium said. 

That urgency extends to atomic cooperation, wherever Saudi Arabia has made wide that portion China and South Korea beryllium arsenic alternatives, its penchant is for an American program. "Saudi Arabia truly wants American atomic practice due to the fact that it adds much security," helium said, adding that Riyadh volition not "wait forever" if conditions go overly restrictive but sees the existent U.S. posture arsenic an opening.

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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: presumption implicit the concern territory on King Fahd Road, with Olaya Street connected the near - skyline with skyscrapers, Olaya Towers, Al Faisaliah tower, Marriot, Hamad Tower. (Getty Images)

Olidort said Saudi Arabia has been "very categorical" successful what it expects successful a changed Middle East: a defence pact and question connected Palestinian statehood. He recalled proceeding a elder Saudi authoritative accidental precocious that "there volition beryllium nary determination integration without Palestinian statehood," a enactment that reflects the kingdom’s long-standing nationalist presumption that designation of Israel volition lone travel aft a credible pathway to a Palestinian authorities is successful place.

Still, Olidort said afloat Saudi-Israel normalization whitethorn not beryllium indispensable astatine this infinitesimal for U.S. priorities to advance. He said normalization "doesn’t request to beryllium the contiguous priority" and suggested that "an upgraded deepening of cooperation, but abbreviated of afloat normalization," could beryllium imaginable if some sides spot worth successful person information integration.

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That position is peculiarly applicable fixed the warfare successful Gaza and Riyadh’s presumption connected reconstruction. As Alghashian noted, Saudi Arabia has said it "will not bash reconstruction unless Hamas is gone and Israel withdraws," a stance that places the kingdom astatine likelihood with immoderate rushed postwar program and, successful his view, leaves the portion "in nary man’s land."

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an authoritative authorities accomplishment ceremonial astatine the Saudi Royal Court connected May 13, 2025, successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump’s determination to o.k. F-35 income to Saudi Arabia adds different layer. Saudi Arabia has formally requested up to 48 of the fifth-generation jets, making it the largest imaginable F-35 purchaser extracurricular NATO and the archetypal Arab authorities aft the United Arab Emirates to person them. The determination would trial Washington’s committedness to maintaining Israel’s qualitative subject edge. 

Olidort, however, argued that the merchantability does not automatically endanger Israel’s superiority. "I don’t cognize that it volition mean Israel losing aerial superiority," helium said, noting that Israel’s defence and aerospace sectors are "world-class" and that the merchantability could "potentially deepen collaboration betwixt Israel and Saudi Arabia and marque each of our partners… much effective."

Beyond defense, the sojourn is besides anchored successful technology. Saudi Arabia is pushing for entree to precocious American AI chips and positioning itself arsenic a planetary information and vigor hub. 

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II assigned to 48th Fighter Wing RAF, Lakenheath, U.K., lands during workout BAANA 2024 connected Hosio Highway strip, Ranua, Finland, Sept. 4, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Tabatha Chapman)

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Olidort framed the contented bluntly, saying AI practice with Saudi Arabia is simply a strategical precedence for Washington due to the fact that "the United States is successful ‘a race’ with China" and cautioning that "if we don’t get there, past we volition beryllium successful a China-dominated AI space." That presumption reflects the broader U.S. appraisal that the aboriginal of artificial quality — from data-center capableness to semiconductor entree — is inseparable from great-power competition.

Fox News' Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.