RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Tuesday that Riyadh is open to normalising ties with Israel under former President Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords, but only if there is a guaranteed roadmap toward establishing a Palestinian state.
“We want to be part of the Abraham Accords. But we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” the crown prince said during an appearance with Trump in the Oval Office. He added that both sides would work to “prepare the right situation as soon as possible.”
Trump confirmed he had received a “positive response” from the crown prince regarding joining the accords, which were launched in 2020 to foster diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab states.
At a joint press conference, Trump also signalled support for selling F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. He said the aircraft would be “pretty similar” to those possessed by Israel, currently the only Middle Eastern operator of the advanced fighters. The potential sale would be a separate agreement from ongoing defence negotiations, Trump noted, but said the two sides had “pretty much reached an agreement” on a broader security pact.
Earlier in the day, Trump welcomed the crown prince—widely known as MBS—to the White House for the first time in more than seven years. The arrival was marked by full ceremonial honours including a military guard, cannon salute and a flyover by U.S. fighter jets.
The visit comes as MBS aims to solidify ties with Washington and further rehabilitate his international standing following the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Although U.S. intelligence previously assessed that MBS approved the operation, the crown prince has denied ordering the killing while acknowledging responsibility as Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader.
Despite Trump’s push for a breakthrough on Saudi–Israel normalisation, major progress is not expected during this trip. Instead, discussions are likely to focus on defence cooperation, civil nuclear development and multibillion-dollar economic deals.
Saudi Arabia is also seeking security guarantees, expanded access to U.S. technology — including artificial intelligence — and movement on a civilian nuclear programme as it navigates geopolitical competition with China.
