WASHINGTON (WSJ) – Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister, will visit the United States next week - the highest visit by an official in the kingdom since President Joe Biden entered the White House in January, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS), who previously served as Saudi Ambassador to Washington, is expected to meet with senior State Department, Defense Department and White House officials, including National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan during his visit.
Officials have announced that the American president isn’t expected to meet the Riyadh’s envoy.
The son of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will be arriving in Washington at a time of strained ties with the U.S. The administration in February implicated the crown prince in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018, but fell short of punishing him personally.
Several Arab sources have recently reported that MbS is trying to meet with Biden, but the U.S. government does not agree to the visit.