A White House official has announced that Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, will travel to Washington for an official meeting with President Biden on November 18. This visit comes as Trump has called for Saudi Arabia to quickly join the Abraham Accords.

The Abraham Accords, signed on September 15, 2020, aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab nations, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. While the Biden administration has sought to persuade Saudi Arabia to join this agreement, Riyadh has remained hesitant, particularly in the absence of progress towards establishing a Palestinian state.

In a recent CBS interview, Trump expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia will eventually join the Accords. During the upcoming meeting, discussions may also cover a potential defense agreement, as Saudi Arabia seeks formal U.S. guarantees for its defense and access to advanced American weaponry.

Earlier this summer, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defense pact stating that any aggression against either country would be seen as a hostile act against both. This agreement was concluded shortly after a ceasefire between Iran and Israel following recent conflicts.