Aya Batrawi

He has enough of those.

What he wants is a US guarantee against a range of threats in the region.

And that means a coveted US defense pact similar to the one Trump signed with Qatar recently after it was attacked by both Iran and Israel over the summer.

And this is not a defense treaty, so it doesn't need Congress to approve it, and it is less binding.

But it does offer Saudi Arabia guarantees that the U.S.

would use military measures if necessary to respond if it's attacked.

Trump says the Saudi crown prince is going to be honored on this visit.

The two leaders have built a close relationship over the years, and the president has praised him as a, quote, great guy and described him as a visionary leader.

That's despite a continued crackdown on critics in the kingdom.

This will be Prince Mohammed's first visit back to the U.S.

since the killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi by the prince's aides seven years ago.

The CIA says the prince had knowledge of the operation, which he denies.

He returns to Washington now with power consolidated at home and top U.S.

CEOs eager for more business with the kingdom.

The prince wants a U.S.

defense pact, new deals in AI, and he's eyeing the purchase of advanced F-35 jets that only Israel currently flies in the Mideast.

Aya Batraoui, NPR News, Dubai.

The last time Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Washington was seven years ago, just before his aides killed Saudi critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, sparking international outcry.

But the heir to the Saudi throne returns to Washington as a partner, not a pariah.

The prince, known also for major social and economic reforms that have changed life in Saudi Arabia, has vowed hundreds of billions of dollars in investments in the U.S.