Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often known as MBS, has unexpectedly canceled a planned meeting with U.S. Senators, amid concerns regarding the attendees. During his official state visit to the United States, the Crown Prince aimed to discuss critical topics such as defense agreements, Saudi Arabia’s substantial $600 billion investment in the U.S., and the prospect of a civilian nuclear deal.
The meeting, initially scheduled for Wednesday on Capitol Hill, was intended to enhance diplomatic ties between U.S. legislators and Saudi Arabia. However, the session was abruptly called off on Tuesday, as reported by sources familiar with the preparations, according to Punchbowl News. The reason cited for the cancellation was the Saudi officials’ apprehension about which senators might participate. This development was further confirmed by Al Arabiya, a Saudi state-owned media outlet.
In a related event, Al Arabiya reported that on Wednesday, the Crown Prince, along with former President Trump and over 400 CEOs from both Saudi and U.S. companies, will attend the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center. Following this significant gathering, MBS is expected to conclude his visit to the United States. Despite the canceled official session, there remains a possibility for senators to meet with the Crown Prince independently.
As expected, Democrats fumed over the crown prince’s trip to the White House – particularly over the CIA’s 2018 conclusion that MBS ordered the murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi. ‘This is the dictator who had a U.S. columnist murdered for criticizing the Saudi royal family,’ Senator Bernie Sanders posted on X this week.
‘Sadly, we have a president who prefers the Saudi model — an autocracy run by a trillionaire family — to democracy.’ Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey similarly wrote: ‘Trump says he will sell our most advanced fighter jets to the Saudis, who US intelligence says killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.’
‘Looks like Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar business deals with the Trump family are paying off. This is outrageous.’ It’s unclear whether the meeting was canceled due to Democrats being able to attend or certain Republicans who have previously been critical of the Saudi regime.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham slammed the Saudi government in 2018 for Khashoggi’s murder, calling the then-33-year-old MBS ‘toxic’ and a ‘wrecking ball.’ The US should ‘sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia,’ Graham said at the time. Graham also vowed never to work with MBS as long as he remains the country’s leader. Graham’s office did not respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
