When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) touches down in Washington on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, it will be no ordinary diplomatic affair. This marks his first visit to the United States since the international uproar over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the stakes could hardly be higher. With the Middle East in flux—shaky truces, missile exchanges, and shifting alliances—this visit is set to redefine not only US-Saudi relations but also the region’s future architecture.
According to reports from Caliber.Az and TRT World, MBS’s meetings with President Donald Trump and other top officials will focus on a mix of economic, security, and geopolitical issues. But at the heart of it all is a bold new framework for Gaza’s reconstruction and a possible realignment of power across the Middle East. For Washington, this is more than a photo op—it’s a strategic gambit to bring Saudi Arabia into an expanded “Abraham Framework,” not as a formal peace partner with Israel, but as an economic and security linchpin in a region under American leadership.
So, what’s on the agenda? The centerpiece is a plan to divide Gaza’s reconstruction into two spheres of influence. The northwest, including Gaza City and the northern corridor, would fall under the civilian and economic sway of Turkey and Qatar—countries historically aligned with Hamas’s political leadership. The southeast, covering Rafah and Khan Yunis, would come under a Saudi-US reconstruction umbrella, with Israel demanding tight security oversight. This arrangement, pieced together from diplomatic hints and behind-the-scenes talks between Washington, Riyadh, Jerusalem, Ankara, and Doha, could allow each actor to secure its core interests without forcing anyone into uncomfortable political declarations.
For Saudi Arabia, the benefits are clear. As The Times of Israel notes, Riyadh would gain a new regional foothold, a strategic partnership with the US, and access to advanced American technologies—key ingredients for MBS’s ambitious Vision 2030 economic transformation. The Saudis would also take a lead role in southern Gaza’s reconstruction, bolstering their position against rivals like Iran and accelerating domestic reforms. “A strong US security commitment is essential,” Saudi officials have stressed, with no viable alternative to American backing.
Israel, meanwhile, stands to benefit from controlled rebuilding in southern Gaza, a guaranteed land-bridge route, and indirect cooperation with Riyadh—without having to make political concessions on Jerusalem or Palestinian statehood. Turkey and Qatar, for their part, would maintain influence in northern Gaza and participate in reconstruction without direct friction with Israel, strengthening their civilian-administrative roles.
The United States, as the architect of this emerging order, seeks stability ahead of broader political negotiations. By balancing the interests of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, Washington hopes to create a structure that can weather the region’s inevitable storms. As one senior US official put it, “We’re not looking for a formal peace agreement, but a strategic economic and security framework under the Abraham Initiative.” The expected announcement in Washington will likely include Saudi Arabia joining the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC)—a land-bridge through Jordan and Israel, with rail links, ports, and energy infrastructure connecting India, the Gulf, and Europe. Israel would be defined as a transit partner, not a political party.
But the visit is about more than just maps and corridors. Saudi Arabia is also pushing for an executive order from Trump, akin to one issued to Qatar last month, to enhance its defense capabilities ahead of a possible formal treaty. The crown prince’s team is eyeing US-made F-35 stealth fighter jets—currently monopolized by Israel in the region—and advanced AI chips from American companies like Nvidia and AMD, which are currently restricted due to US national security concerns. These chips are crucial for planned AI data centers in the kingdom, a linchpin of both its technological and defense ambitions.
Atomic energy cooperation is also on the table, though any agreement to support Saudi nuclear capabilities would likely require Congressional approval. The broader aim, as TRT World reports, is to solidify Saudi Arabia’s security infrastructure while advancing its economic and technological modernization.
Yet, for all the talk of innovation and investment, the elephant in the room remains the Israel-Palestine conflict. Trump has publicly urged MBS to join the Abraham Accords—the US-brokered deals that normalized Israel’s ties with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco—following a Gaza peace summit in Egypt last month. “We have a lot of people joining now the Abraham Accords, and hopefully we are going to get Saudi Arabia very soon,” Trump told reporters. But Saudi officials have repeatedly said normalization is premature without a clear pathway to a Palestinian state.
“A Palestinian state is a prerequisite for regional integration,” Manal Radwan, head of the Saudi negotiating team, stated at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Ambassador Barbara A. Leaf, a former US envoy and senior international policy advisor, echoed this sentiment, telling TRT World: “The quest for US leadership in helping define a pathway to Palestinian statehood will undoubtedly feature as an important item on the agenda for the Crown Prince, but I am doubtful a clear pledge will be secured.”
The humanitarian cost of the conflict is staggering. Palestinian officials report around 70,000 dead and nearly 170,000 wounded since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, with millions uprooted. The phased ceasefire that began on October 10, 2025, has been breached almost daily, resulting in nearly 300 Palestinian deaths and hundreds more injured. The current truce, based on a 20-point plan, includes the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, rebuilding Gaza, and establishing a new governing mechanism without Hamas—a delicate balancing act that has yet to win broad international support.
Meanwhile, the US is trying to secure a UN mandate for an international stabilization force in Gaza, but faces resistance from Russia, China, and several Arab countries. Riyadh’s position is clear: a Palestinian state is non-negotiable as a prerequisite for diplomatic ties with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right ministers, however, remain staunchly opposed to a two-state solution.
Security, unsurprisingly, will dominate the visit’s discussions. Saudi Arabia is seeking a large weapons package, potentially including dozens of F-35 fighter jets, building on a Pentagon approval earlier this year. Negotiations have involved high-level Saudi officials meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The kingdom has also signed a defense pact with Pakistan, signaling its intent to broaden its security alliances. Still, as Ambassador Leaf points out, a NATO-style agreement would require a Senate vote—an unlikely prospect in the near term. More probable is a political commitment from Trump, similar to the one recently extended to Qatar.
On the economic front, Saudi Arabia plans to host an investment summit in Washington during the visit, aiming to unveil over $600 billion in US investments, including $21 billion for data centers and solar power initiatives. President Trump is reportedly planning a lavish dinner for MBS, highlighting the commercial partnerships at the core of the new relationship. Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, remarked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that “AI and advanced tech is really kind of at the centre of Saudi’s ambitions to diversify their economy away from a dependence on oil.”
Against this backdrop, the US is quietly building a two-level regional structure. States with formal peace agreements with Israel—like the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco—form the first tier. The second tier consists of countries participating in a regional economic framework without diplomatic ties to Israel, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, Malaysia, Lebanon, and Syria. This pragmatic approach allows for cooperation without forcing normalization, reflecting the complex realities on the ground.
As the world watches MBS’s visit unfold, it’s clear that the decisions made in Washington this week could shape the Middle East for years to come. The region’s future may well hinge on whether this new model of divided spheres of influence, economic integration, and pragmatic diplomacy can deliver the stability and prosperity its architects promise.
