UPDATE - Saudi crown prince heads to US for talks with Trump

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Hussien Elkabany and Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday left for an official US visit for talks with President Donald Trump, marking his first trip to the country in seven years – specifically, since Trump’s first term.

A royal court statement said the prince will hold talks with Trump on ways to boost bilateral relations across multiple fields.

The three-day visit will also include discussions of issues of shared concern, the statement said.

The visit is expected to include the signing of economic and defense agreements, as well as discussions of Middle East issues, including prospects for normalizing relations with Israel.

The visit carries special importance as it follows recent defense talks between the two countries.

According to Saudi daily Okaz, bin Salman will meet Trump on Tuesday at the White House.

No official statement has yet been issued by the royal court outlining the visit’s program.

Bin Salman last visited the US in March 2018, when he met Trump during his first term as president (2017–2021).

The visit coincides with the introduction of a US draft resolution at the UN Security Council on Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip, which several countries, including Saudi Arabia, have expressed support for, amid Israeli worries that it could set a path toward establishing a Palestinian state.