President Donald Trump is preparing to host Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, with a series of ceremonial events planned, including a welcome ceremony and a formal dinner. This visit, however, is not classified as an official state visit since the crown prince is not the head of state, a role held by his father, King Salman.

The meetings will be the first for Prince bin Salman at the White House in over seven years. Trump has sought to strengthen ties with the crown prince, hoping to encourage Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, a key objective of his administration's Abraham Accords.

The crown prince's previous visit to Washington occurred in 2018, shortly before the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which a CIA assessment suggested he likely ordered, a claim he has consistently denied. Despite this, U.S.-Saudi relations have remained intact, with both Trump and his successor, President Joe Biden, engaging with the crown prince despite previous criticisms of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

The upcoming visit is expected to reaffirm U.S.-Saudi ties, with plans for a military band welcome, a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, and a black-tie dinner. The guest list reportedly includes business executives and lawmakers, with coordination by First Lady Melania Trump.

In conjunction with the White House visit, Saudi Arabia is organizing an investment summit aimed at fostering connections between American and Saudi business leaders. This follows Trump's earlier visit to Saudi Arabia, where he was met with significant ceremonial displays and discussions of substantial investments in the U.S.

Ahead of the meetings, U.S. and Saudi officials are finalizing agreements on defense and security cooperation, including potential purchases of American military equipment. The discussions will also address the normalization of relations with Israel, which has been complicated by recent conflicts, including the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel and the subsequent war.

While a defense cooperation agreement is anticipated to be signed, it may not meet the requirements for a formal treaty, which would necessitate congressional approval. Saudi Arabia has indicated that any normalization with Israel would require a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood, a condition that remains unfulfilled in current proposals.

Jared Kushner, a key figure in the Abraham Accords and Trump’s son-in-law, recently visited Riyadh to discuss these matters with the crown prince. Both Trump and Kushner have personal financial interests in Saudi Arabia, with the Trump Organization and Kushner's investment fund having significant ties to the region.