Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman returns to the White House on Tuesday for his first visit to Washington since 2018, during President Donald Trump's first term.

US-Saudi relations nosedived under former president Joe Biden, who vowed to make Riyadh a "pariah" over human rights concerns. But Mr Trump reset relations in May, when he received an enthusiastic welcome during a trip to Saudi Arabia in which Riyadh committed to investing $600 billion in the US over four years.

This week's White House meeting will focus on security, technology deals and regional politics, with Mr Trump keen to persuade Saudi Arabia to establish relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords.

Riyadh, however, has said ties with Israel hinged on a credible pathway to a Palestinian state and broader regional security.

"Palestine is not just about Palestinian self-determination, it's really about the de-radicalising and stabilising the entire region," said Gregory Gause, visiting scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington. "And they don't see a prosperous region without Israel and Palestine being somehow integrated into this new order."

Prince Mohammed's visit to Washington comes amid a historic economic transformation for Saudi Arabia, which is in the process of diversifying its economy away from oil as part of its Vision 2030 programme.

Economic agenda