DUBAI – Despite upbeat remarks from US President Donald Trump about Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, Riyadh is unlikely to formalise relations with Israel during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington later this month.
Diplomatic sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its stance — normalisation will only come with a credible roadmap toward Palestinian statehood. The kingdom wants to ensure its position aligns with the United States before making any public statements, especially during the November 18 White House talks.
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Analysts believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, will press Trump to support a two-state solution more explicitly. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting Palestinian statehood, progress on normalisation appears remote.
Instead, the meeting is expected to focus on finalising a scaled-down defence pact expanding US military cooperation with Saudi Arabia. The deal, modelled partly on Washington’s arrangement with Qatar, aims to deepen defence ties, technology sharing, and arms sales, though it falls short of a full treaty requiring US congressional approval.
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The move underscores Riyadh’s cautious balancing act — pursuing stronger defence and economic cooperation with Washington while keeping normalisation linked to Palestinian sovereignty. Analysts say the agreement could eventually evolve into a full treaty if regional conditions change.