Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman returns to White House after 7 years: What's on agenda?

The meeting will mark the crown prince’s first White House visit since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.

According to a CNBC report, discussions are expected to focus on defense, trade and technology ties, along with cooperation in artificial intelligence, security and nuclear energy.

Earlier this year, Trump visited Saudi Arabia as the kingdom announced a $600 billion trade and investment commitment to the United States.

The trip is not considered an official state visit, as Prince Mohammed is not Saudi Arabia’s head of state. The position is held by his 89-year-old father, King Salman, though the crown prince handles the kingdom’s day-to-day governance.

Trump has also announced that the United States will sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, calling the kingdom “a great ally,” CNN reported. “I will say that we will be doing that. We’ll be selling F-35s,” he told reporters.

Jamal Khashoggi factor

The visit is the crown prince’s first trip to the United States since the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. A CIA assessment later concluded he had likely ordered the killing, though he has denied involvement, CNN reported.

Reacting to the planned White House meeting, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, the widow of Jamal Khashoggi, told CNN: “It’s very painful for me. It will be better if Jamal was here and receiving the crown prince by himself and meet with him and share with him his vision and mission, and all of his ideas.”