Saudi crown prince visits capital

AI, civilian nuclear energy top priorities

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A visit by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler to the White House for talks today 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.

It will be the first trip by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) 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 MBS approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi, a prominent critic.

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 Saudi investment pledge made during his visit to Saudi 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 toward a deal on a civilian programme.

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