MBS's Grand Mission to Washington: What Will Be Revealed?
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's (MBS) visit to the White House on Tuesday drew significant attention due to his strategic agenda: from maintenance cooperation to artificial intelligence technology to the potential for civilian nuclear weapons. This was his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which sparked global condemnation. After seven years of diplomatic tensions, both Washington and Riyadh appear eager to move forward and strengthen relations.
For President Donald Trump, this visit is seen as a major opportunity to fulfill the $600 billion Saudi investment pledge announced during his recent visit to Riyadh. Trump is not expected to address human rights issues, as he did on previous visits. Meanwhile, for MBS, his top priorities are securing US security guarantees, access to AI technology, and a potential intervention in the long-negotiated civilian nuclear agreement.
However, the path to an agreement has been bumpy. Washington wants long-term defense cooperation in exchange for Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. In contrast, Riyadh wants normalization to come with an Israeli commitment to a Palestinian state, something Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected. Some analysts suspect the compromise could be a Trump executive order modeled on the US-Qatar defense pact—weaker than the formal agreement Riyadh seeks, but still a significant step.
Amidst escalating regional rivalries, Saudi Arabia is also pursuing major projects in nuclear energy and artificial intelligence. Access to advanced computer chips is crucial for Saudi Arabia to compete with the United Arab Emirates, which has already signed a multi-billion dollar technology deal with the US. MBS wants Saudi Arabia to become a global AI hub within the framework of Vision 2030, while reducing its dependence on oil.
Although nuclear negotiations have stalled due to disagreements over uranium enrichment rights, some diplomats suggest progress may be announced during this visit—either in the form of a preliminary agreement or at least an agreement between the two sides to accelerate talks. The question now is: how far are the two countries willing to go, and will MBS's visit open a new chapter in US-Saudi cooperation, which has always been characterized by a tug-of-war of interest? (asd)
Source: Newsmaker.id
