Saudi Arabia's MBS on 'comeback tour' in first US visit since Khashoggi murder
President Donald Trump will host Saudi Arabia's de facto leader for talks focused on deepening US-Saudi ties, Gaza diplomacy and reciprocal investments.
WASHINGTON — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s White House visit on Tuesday marks his return to the American political stage after years spent rehabilitating his image as a global pariah.
“In many ways, this is his comeback tour,” said Firas Maksad, the managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group.
“But that doesn't mean that it's only about the symbolism,” Maksad said. “There's a lot in what is now a very broad relationship between the two countries to get done on this trip.”
The visit is the crown prince’s first to the United States since the 2018 murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi brought US-Saudi relations to a historic low. A CIA assessment concluded the crown prince likely approved the operation to kill and dismember Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, although he denies personal involvement.
