It's not an official state visit, but the White House is preparing to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next week with the pomp and circumstance that is typical of one. The crown prince's day at the White House next Tuesday will begin with an arrival ceremony on the sweeping South Lawn and a subsequent greeting on the South Portico, according to a senior White House official. Then Trump will host him in the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting, followed by a signing and lunch in the Cabinet Room where the US and Saudi Arabia will formalise multiple economic and defence agreements, said the official, granted anonymity to discuss the administration's planning. Later in the evening, the White House will hold an East Room dinner hosted and planned by first lady Melania Trump.
