Trump hosts Saudi crown prince for deal-making visit
As US President Donald Trump hosts Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, the Saudi de facto ruler is seeking to further deepen ties with the US.
The crown prince, making his first White House visit in more than seven years, was welcomed with a lavish pageant and ceremony on the South Lawn, where Trump presided, complete with a military honor guard, a cannon salute and a flyover by US warplanes.
Talks between the two leaders are expected to boost security ties, civil nuclear cooperation and multibillion-dollar business deals with the kingdom.
But despite pressure from Trump to make such a landmark move, there will likely be no major breakthrough for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel.
The meeting underlines the important relationship between the world’s largest economy and its largest oil exporter; The Saudi leader points out that Trump has made it a high priority in his second term as he tries to further improve his global image following the murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
International uproar over the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, has slowly subsided.
US intelligence concluded that Bin Salman approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The crown prince denied ordering the operation but accepted responsibility as the de facto ruler of the kingdom.
Bin Salman’s warm welcome in Washington DC is the latest sign that relations are recovering from the deep tension caused by the Khashoggi murder.
Trump greeted bin Salman on the red carpet with a smile and a handshake, while dozens of military personnel lined up around him.
The limousine was escorted to South Drive by a U.S. Army mounted honor guard.
The two leaders then looked skyward as warplanes roared overhead, before Trump ushered his guest inside.
Before sitting down for talks, the two leaders chatted amicably as Trump showed Bin Salman around the presidential portraits that line the wall outside the Oval Office.
During a busy day of White House diplomacy, Bin Salman will meet Trump in the Oval Office, have lunch in the Cabinet Room and attend a formal black-tie dinner in the evening, giving him the trappings of a state visit.
US and Saudi flags hung on lamp posts in front of the White House.
A senior US administration official said Trump expects to further increase the $600 billion ($A922 billion) Saudi investment pledge he made during his visit to the kingdom in May.
The United States and Saudi Arabia are ready to make deals on Tuesday for military sales, increased cooperation in civilian nuclear energy and billions of dollars in investment in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure, the official said on condition of anonymity.
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