White House announces date of MbS, Trump meeting in Washington

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be at the White House on 18 November for an official working visit with U.S. President Donald Trump, a White House official said on Monday.

The visit comes as Trump pushes Saudi Arabia to join the list of nations that have joined the Abraham Accords. In 2020, Trump reached deals with United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco to normalize relations with Israel.

The Saudis have been hesitant to join in the absence of steps toward Palestinian statehood.

Trump told CBS' "60 Minutes" in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he believed the Saudis would ultimately join the accords.

Trump and bin Salman may also discuss a U.S.-Saudi defense agreement. The Financial Times reported two weeks ago that there were hopes the two countries could sign such an agreement during bin Salman's visit.

The Saudis have sought formal U.S. guarantees to defend the kingdom as well as access to more advanced U.S. weaponry.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest customers for U.S. arms, and the two countries have maintained strong ties for decades based on an arrangement in which the kingdom delivers oil and Washington provides security.

During Trump's visit to Riyadh in May, the United States agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion. 

(Reuters)