A reset in Riyadh’s favour: Trump welcomes Saudi crown prince back to Washington

SAUDI Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s return to Washington on Nov 18 (Tuesday) marks a dramatic reversal in US-Saudi relations and underscores the Trump administration’s unabashedly transactional approach to Middle East policy. The lavish White House reception – complete with jets, trumpets, mounted guards and a state dinner – signals not just a diplomatic thaw, but also a full embrace of the kingdom’s de facto ruler, despite lingering controversies that would have been unthinkable barriers just years ago.

The spectacle itself tells the story. Trump welcomed Prince Mohammed with a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn that included a military flyover, mounted honour guards and a greeting from the US Marine band – treatment typically reserved for heads of state. This stood in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s approach, which sought to keep the crown prince at arm’s length following US intelligence findings that he approved the operation to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

When pressed on Khashoggi’s 2018 murder during the Oval Office meeting, Trump dismissed the matter by saying “things happen” and claimed the crown prince “knew nothing about it” – a statement that directly contradicts US intelligence assessments. This casual dismissal of what human rights groups consider state-sanctioned murder underscores the Trump administration’s willingness to subordinate human rights concerns to strategic and economic interests.