Al, defence, nuclear energy on agenda of Saudi crown prince's US visit

A visit by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler to the White House for talks on Nov 18 with US President Donald Trump aims to deepen decades-old cooperation on oil and security while broadening ties in commerce, technology and potentially even nuclear energy.

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming US President Donald Trump to Riyadh in May. The crown prince will be in Washington on Nov 18 for talks.

(PHOTO: REUTERS)

It will be the first trip by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the US since the 2018 killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul, which caused a global uproar. US intelligence concluded that the crown prince had approved the capture or killing of Mr Khashoggi, a prominent critic.

The crown prince, widely known by his initials MBS, denied ordering the operation but acknowledged responsibility as the kingdom’s de facto ruler.

More than seven years later, the world’s largest economy and the world’s top oil producer want to move forward.

Mr Trump is seeking to cash in on a US$600 billion (S$780 billion) Saudi investment pledge made during his visit to the kingdom in May. He steered clear of mentioning human rights concerns during that trip and is expected to do so again.

The Saudi leader is seeking security guarantees amid regional turmoil and wants access to artificial intelligence technology and progress towards a deal on a civilian nuclear programme.

“There is a page that has been turned” on Mr Khashoggi’s killing, said Dr Aziz Alghashian, Saudi-based lecturer of international relations at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.