US President Trump visited Saudi Arabia last weekend with two apparent aims – to send a political message to Iran (MEES, 26 May), particularly given that his following visit was to Israel, and to reinvigorate the US-Saudi long term economic relationship.

The long list of deals signed during the visit chimes with Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad's ‘Vision 2030,’ which aims to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil, and his visits to the US to gauge options for a potential New York listing for state oil giant Aramco (MEES, 26 May). (CONTINUED - 764 WORDS)