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OPINION:
The planned visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington on Tuesday promises to be much more than a routine diplomatic stop. The “state visit” format, the highest level in U.S. diplomatic protocol and the first of its kind during President Trump’s second term, will likely reaffirm and enhance the U.S.-Saudi partnership as the cornerstone of stability in the traditionally regressive and volatile Middle East and beyond.
For several decades, Saudi Arabia has played a critical role in supporting America’s global position, serving as a security guarantor of the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf), spiritual leader of the Sunni Muslim world, and linchpin of the petrodollar system, helping underwrite American financial primacy.
However, many in Washington have been reluctant to acknowledge Riyadh’s importance, and for much of the Biden administration, bilateral ties were taken for granted and revved up only when domestic political circumstances called for an increase in regional hydrocarbon production.
In contrast, both Trump White Houses understood from the get-go that security around the Arabian Peninsula is on an equal footing with Europe, as the defense of the energy heartland and trade arteries of the Gulf directly impacts the U.S. economy, its currency and, ultimately, its global leadership.
Saudi Arabia’s regional role extends to diplomatic efforts. In the Levant, the kingdom has been central to efforts in Lebanon to stabilize governance and counter extremism, while in Syria, it has pushed for solutions balancing humanitarian needs with regional security. Mr. Trump removed sanctions on Syria earlier this year after lengthy consultations with the crown prince, a clear signal that Washington acknowledges Riyadh’s leadership in shaping outcomes in Arab capitals.
Saudi Arabia has been an indispensable interlocutor in helping the Trump administration bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and the kingdom vowed to back efforts for the strip’s reconstruction and political rehabilitation. Similarly, the meeting Tuesday might replant the seeds for regional integration, sidelined as a result of the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, allowing for an eventual deal establishing diplomatic ties between the kingdom and Israel. Although Saudi officials have repeatedly stated that its primary condition remains a two-state solution, Mr. Trump said recently on “60 Minutes” that he doesn’t believe there is a prerequisite.
The kingdom is a balancing power within the Gulf. Riyadh’s ability to bounce back after the 2019 Aramco attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen and its measured influence after the Israeli strike on Hamas in Qatar in June highlighted that the security of the peninsula cannot be separated from American strategic interests.
They also reinforce the image of Saudi Arabia as a credible leader of a modernizing and stabilizing Muslim and Arab world that unconditionally rejects violent extremism and reactionary propaganda.
When Mr. Trump made his first foreign visit to Riyadh in 2017, it marked the start of a renewed U.S.-Saudi era, memorialized by his appearance at the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology alongside the crown prince’s father, King Salman, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. His return to the kingdom this May was sealed with substance: $600 billion in Saudi commitments to U.S. product purchases, such as technology, energy and health care, as well as a massive $142 billion defense package, the largest in history.
As Mr. Trump declared during this year’s visit: “The gleaming marbles of Riyadh were not created by the so-called nation builders, neocons or liberal nonprofits. The birth of a modern Middle East has been brought by the people of the region themselves.” His message reflected an understanding that substantive reform is being driven internally, not imposed from abroad.
The crown prince’s stay in Washington will progress beyond ceremony and translate promises into lasting impact. Defense agreements are expected to advance from paper to deployment, ensuring Saudi and American systems are fully interoperable in shielding the Gulf and securing global energy flows.
Equally critical, the visit may cement the kingdom as a “compute corridor” for trusted U.S. technology — chips, artificial intelligence and cloud services — that underpin both economies. It is also no surprise that the largest American corporations are no longer just exporting to Saudi Arabia but also establishing headquarters and regional hubs inside the kingdom, which enhances U.S. competitiveness abroad. During the Biden years, the crown prince sought a civilian nuclear deal with the U.S., and progress on that front is expected as well.
Maritime cooperation in the Gulf and Red Sea may be expanded to ensure that any threats, whether from state actors or bands of pirates, are promptly recognized and addressed. After all, these regional choke points are every bit as vital to U.S. national security as they are to Saudi Arabia’s survival.
The bilateral relationship has always been practical, but today it is also visionary. The kingdom is no longer just another customer or ally. It is also increasingly the political, economic and spiritual leader of the modernizing and stabilizing Arab and Muslim world. This week, the crown prince and Mr. Trump will showcase this growing partnership, one that forges a durable bond between the two nations.
• Mohammed Alhamed is a Saudi geopolitical analyst and president of the consultancy group Saudi Elite (@M7Alhamed). Jason Epstein is president of Southfive Strategies LLC, an international public affairs consultancy (@Southfive).
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