During the Saudi-US summit held at the White House in September 2015 between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and former US President Barack Obama, Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivered a briefing outlining Saudi Arabia’s vision for a 21st Century strategic relationship between the two countries.
At the time, the young prince appeared to carry a new outlook on Saudi-American relations, which had gone through phases and shifts for more than 80 years, and he seemed determined to reshape their future course.
The US presidency alternated between Republicans and Democrats over the following decade, and the most significant turning point came during Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s first meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in March 2017, a meeting that prompted Trump to choose Riyadh as the first foreign destination of his first term.
During his historic visit to Riyadh in May 2017, Trump delivered a speech to Arab and Islamic leaders that focused on terrorism concerns and Middle East conflicts. King Salman and Trump signed the Joint Strategic Vision Declaration between the two countries.
In January 2020, Joe Biden was sworn in as president and pledged to recalibrate ties with Washington’s closest partner. The pledge did not hold against the realities on the ground and the recognition of the importance of the Saudi-American partnership amid the Russian Ukrainian crisis and other global shifts.
Biden traveled to Jeddah in July 2022 to meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed.
Saudi officials consistently stress that ties with the US are strategic and stable and do not shift with changes in the White House or the turnover of administrations.
Over the same decade, Saudis continued building capabilities, expanding capacities, meeting Vision 2030 targets and strengthening their global standing.
Shifts in Saudi-American ties did not occur in isolation from profound global changes, including China’s rise as a strategic competitor to Washington and the movement of economic power centers toward Asia. The war in Ukraine further underscored the importance of energy security and of countries able to stabilize global markets.
US engagement in the Middle East declined in favor of other priorities, opening the door for Riyadh to lead influential regional initiatives, from political de-escalation to economic partnerships and new approaches to regional security.
At the same time, technology and artificial intelligence emerged as central drivers of the global economy, making investment and technology partnerships even more important in Washington’s calculations.
These combined shifts reshaped the foundations of Riyadh Washington relations from ties based on temporary needs to a relationship built on parity, converging interests and joint future building.
After beginning his second term in office, Trump visited Riyadh again in May 2025 and delivered an extended speech that did not address terrorism or wars but rather the bright future and major transformation taking place in the region under King Salman and the Crown Prince.
Syria was present in Riyadh, sanctions were lifted at Saudi request and Trump met President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
During a speech, Trump asked the Crown Prince how he sleeps at night, then added that he tosses and turns all night thinking about how to make things better.
He sent a message to the world that the Kingdom’s achievements did not come from outside, but from the determination of its leaders and people to develop their state and advance their unique vision and chart their future in their own way.
He described this as a modern miracle in the Arab way.
These remarks recall the interview that Life magazine conducted with King Abdulaziz in March 1943, describing him as the man who “holds the reins of his Kingdom with a wakeful eye.”
The words of yesterday about the founding grandfather are echoed today in the words about the guiding grandson.
Against this backdrop and amid the region’s ongoing transformations comes Crown Prince Mohammed’s visit to Washington and his meeting with President Trump, along with the expected agreements and deals.
Although political and security headlines dominate coverage of the visit, economic and investment files are also on the table.
Perhaps the clearest description came from Trump, who said the occasion was not merely a meeting, but an honor for Saudi Arabia and for the young prince.
Media reports and statements attributed to US politicians continue to bet on Saudi normalization under American sponsorship. Yet, despite pressure and attempts, the Saudi position remains firm in support of the Palestinian cause.
Saudi Arabia’s interests with its key partner, the US, whose political doctrine includes support for Israel, have never taken precedence over the Kingdom’s consistent political doctrine of supporting Palestinian rights. Its foreign policy maintains a position of no normalization without a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue that includes the establishment of an independent state along the 1967 borders.
While Israel’s war machine has devastated Gaza and its steadfast population and attempted to eliminate the Palestinian cause, Saudi efforts under King Salman and the Crown Prince have gone beyond contributing to a ceasefire.
They achieved a historic breakthrough toward the two-state solution through the “impose the solution” initiative and by securing recognition of Palestine from several influential countries, including the very country behind the Balfour Declaration.
This recognition came from the United Nations podium, which once witnessed the ill-fated partition resolution and which has long witnessed Saudi diplomatic efforts defending Palestinian rights.
Despite Saudi Arabia’s push for a Palestinian state against American opposition and its signing of a mutual defense treaty with nuclear armed Pakistan, President Trump has repeatedly expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia, its leadership and Prince Mohammed personally.
According to Trump, the Crown Prince is a strong friend with clear principles and commands respect, even when views diverge on certain issues. It goes without saying that the American experience celebrates only the strong, those strong in achievement rather than heritage and slogans.
Whatever the scale of agreements and outcomes during this exceptional meeting, the results are certain to reinforce the strategic partnership in line with the Saudi Crown Prince’s vision of the relationship.
Observers expect that the Washington meetings will lay foundations for regional security and prosperity and for a future strategic relationship shaped by Crown Prince Mohammed’s ability to move from briefing to achievement.