November 17th, 2025 - Saudi Prince Returns to Washington's Embrace, Too Powerful to Overlook

Seven years ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in the United States eager to charm elites and promote a new, modern image of Saudi Arabia. He met billionaires, academics, and Hollywood insiders, presenting himself as a reformer poised to open up the conservative kingdom. But the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents months later shattered that image, turning the prince into a global pariah and driving many of his new allies away.

Now, as he prepares to return to the White House, the crown prince arrives in a very different position. At 40, he has consolidated near-total power at home and emerged as a major international actor. He manages one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds and has become a central figure in global diplomacy. American political and business leaders who once kept their distance now see him as too influential to ignore.

This time, he will be welcomed by President Trump, who has remained consistently friendly toward Saudi Arabia and whose family maintains significant business interests there. Analysts say the trip represents a personal triumph for the prince, who has gone from international outcast to a leader whose presence Washington cannot overlook. Even President Biden, who once promised to isolate Saudi Arabia, eventually traveled to meet him in 2022 to help address rising oil prices.

During Trump’s most recent visit to the kingdom in May, he praised Saudi Arabia’s progress and toured a major state-backed development project called Diriyah. The project’s leadership told The New York Times that the Trump Organization is in talks for a potential branded property there — another example of how business and politics often blend in U.S.-Saudi relations.

Since the crown prince’s last U.S. trip, Saudi Arabia has loosened some social restrictions but tightened political repression. His focus now is “Vision 2030,” an ambitious plan to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil. As challenges mount, he is expected to use this visit to secure defense deals, push forward negotiations on U.S. nuclear technology, and expand cooperation on artificial intelligence.

Trump hopes to persuade him to normalize relations with Israel, but analysts say that will not happen without clear movement toward a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, both governments are also discussing a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia — a deal complicated by U.S. concerns that sensitive technology could reach China.

Prince Mohammed has been deepening ties with Beijing and other global powers, giving Saudi Arabia more leverage as it navigates between competing blocs. For Washington, the visit comes at a moment when Middle Eastern allies are increasingly unsure of America’s long-term security commitment, especially after regional tensions flared when Israel tried to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar. According to experts, Saudi leaders want a stronger security guarantee from Washington, and U.S. officials believe signing major agreements during this visit may help reassure the kingdom.

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster) - Crucible (noun, KROO-suh-bul) - A crucible, in the word’s literal use, is a pot in which metals or other substances are heated to a very high temperature or melted. But crucible is more often encountered in figurative use referring to a difficult test or challenge, or to a place or situation that forces people to change or make difficult decisions.

Example: The bronze was heated to 2,100 degrees in the crucible and then poured into molds designed by the artist.

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