Saudi Gazette report

WASHINGTON — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to visit Washington, on November 18, the White House announced.

The visit follows US president Donald Trump’s first overseas trip of his second term, which began in Riyadh on May 13.

During that visit, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation across trade, defense, and investment, under the Strategic Economic Partnership framework signed by the Crown Prince and Trump.

While details of the agreements expected to be signed during the upcoming meeting have not been disclosed, U.S. officials familiar with the preparations indicated that the visit will include a package of commercial and investment deals aimed at strengthening economic ties.

Over nearly nine decades, Saudi-U.S. relations have evolved from oil-based cooperation into a broad strategic alliance encompassing trade, security, and innovation.

Speaking to CNBC during the last 9th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh, Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim said the United States remains one of the Kingdom’s most significant economic partners, accounting for 25 percent of total foreign direct investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia.

Bilateral trade between the two nations currently stands at SR121 billion, marking a 6.5 percent increase since 2023.

“It’s important for us to find more avenues of economic partnership between the private sectors in both countries,” Al-Ibrahim said, noting Saudi Arabia’s growing potential to serve as a “second campus” for U.S. institutions specializing in research, development, and innovation.

Aligned with Vision 2030, the Kingdom is intensifying efforts to diversify its economy and boost non-oil exports to the U.S., the minister added.

Al-Ibrahim highlighted the strength and longevity of the bilateral relationship: “Nine decades of a strong economic partnership built on trust and shared knowledge continue to benefit the global economy.”