Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is scheduled to visit the White House on November 18 to meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump, with plans to sign agreements spanning artificial intelligence, defense, nuclear cooperation, and trade, according to a source familiar with the matter.
This will mark the first visit by MBS to the United States since 2018. Bloomberg had previously reported that the crown prince intended to travel to the U.S. sometime in November.
While discussions on normalization with Israel are expected, the source noted that such a step is unlikely to happen immediately, and that the business and defense agreements will not be contingent on it.
The visit follows a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which both Trump and MBS hope will bring an end to the two-year conflict in Gaza. In 2023, on the eve of that conflict, MBS was close to signing a comprehensive deal with the U.S. that could have included Saudi recognition of Israel in exchange for American security guarantees. Those negotiations were stalled after the conflict began, with Saudi Arabia maintaining that Israel must accept Palestinian statehood before normalization.
The broader pact also envisioned U.S. assistance in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear-energy sector.
MBS’s upcoming trip comes shortly after Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May, which was part of a Gulf tour including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. During that visit, Trump—accompanied by more than 30 U.S. business leaders—announced deals worth up to $1 trillion, focused on AI chips, data centers, and other sectors, though the White House later stated the total was closer to $600 billion.
CBS News first reported the specific date of MBS’s visit to Washington, confirming plans for the high-profile meeting later this fall.
