Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Washington, D.C. on Monday and met with Secretary of State John Kerry in Georgetown for an informal dinner.
Prince Mohammed’s arrival marks the first time he has been photographed or filmed wearing western clothing. The prince typically wears traditional Saudi clothing both at home in the Kingdom and abroad. During his last visit to the U.S. in September 2015, the Deputy Crown Prince wore traditional Saudi attire.
The prince was scheduled to dine informally with Secretary of State John Kerry tonight in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. He arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz S-Class and emerged from the back seat of the car grinning upon seeing Secretary Kerry. He was wearing a brown suit without a tie.
“It seems the [Deputy Crown Prince] prefers more casual attire – and atmospheres – inside the Kingdom and abroad,” D.C.-based analyst on Saudi affairs, Fahad Nazer, tweeted yesterday.
Prince Mohammed, who is head of Saudi Arabia’s powerful Council on Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) and Minister of Defense, visits Washington with a hybrid agenda mixing political, security, and economic interests. The 31-year old is the guiding force behind the recently announced “Vision 2030” economic plan to transform Saudi Arabia’s economy and society over the next 15 years.
The Deputy Crown Prince was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir.
