Saudi Arabia
By
Ed O’Keefe
Senior political and White House correspondent
Ed O’Keefe is News themezone’ senior political and White House correspondent reporting for all News themezone platforms. He is part of the team covering President Trump and covered all four years of Joe Biden’s presidency. From the White House to the campaign trail, O’Keefe’s reporting ranges from the politics of the moment to how policies enacted in Washington affect the nation and the world.
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Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohamed bin Salman is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on Nov. 18, in what will be his first visit to Washington during Trump’s second term, as the Gulf nation seeks a defense pact with the United States, sources familiar with the matter told News themezone.
The crown prince, often referred to by his initials MBS, was last in the White House more than seven years ago, although The two leaders met in May. this year during the president’s four-day trip to the Middle East aimed at strengthening economic ties, ending the war between Israel and Gaza and discussing a possible deal to end Iran’s nuclear program.
At the November meeting at the White House, they are likely to discuss agreements reached in May and military and intelligence sharing between the two countries.
Officials intend to hold a signing event when the crown prince is with the president, but details are still in flux, two sources said.
The Trump administration recently agreed to a defense pact with Qatar, pledging to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States and defend it with the U.S. military. The Saudis have indicated they would like to agree a similar defense pact with the United States.
Trump has praised Prince Mohammed in his interactions. Saudi Arabia was the first foreign country he visited in 2017, and the Crown Prince was the first foreign leader he called by phone in January 2025.
He has called the Saudi leader “wise beyond his years.” And in remarks during one of his meetings in Riyadh in May, Trump called the US-Saudi relationship “a foundation of security and prosperity.”