WASHINGTON: Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was due in Washington Monday for talks with US President Donald Trump that are likely to be dominated by concern over Iran’s spreading regional influence and its ongoing nuclear program.
A host of other policy issues are expected to be on the agenda, including the Saudi and UAE-led boycott of Qatar, Saudi Arabia’s plans for nuclear energy and the Trump administration’s faltering efforts to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace.
The crown prince is scheduled to meet Trump on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen ties between the two countries, according to the White House.
The visit is being seen as a chance for the relatively new administration in Washington and the crown prince, who has been heir to the throne for less than a year, to get to know each other better. Trump, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, forged close personal relationships with the crown prince when the US president visited Saudi Arabia in May. That helped cement a close alliance between the two countries.
Nonetheless, American officials are keen to learn more about the crown prince’s inner circle, and to meet the advisers and aides who they believe will play a critical role in the implementation of social and economic reforms in Saudi Arabia, and the Kingdom’s more muscular foreign policy.
“Mohammad bin Salman has started a hugely positive cultural reform program in Saudi Arabia, particularly the theological struggle to return the Kingdom to its roots in moderate Islam,” said Jim Smith, who served as the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia between 2009 and 2013. 
“Winning that war of ideas, and succeeding in the other major policy challenges, depends not only on the crown prince’s leadership but also on how good the team he has assembled around him is, and how strong the institutions they build together are.
“That is something of an unknown at the moment and the US government will be keen to sound that out,” Smith said.
There is a groundswell of optimism in Washington around the crown prince’s rising power, and much of the domestic and foreign policy agenda he has staked out. The US is keen to see cultural liberalization and market-orientated economic reforms in Saudi Arabia and, under Trump, shares Riyadh’s deep concern over Iran.
But the US foreign policy establishment also wants to find out more about the crown prince’s anti-corruption campaign and has some concerns about some of Riyadh’s external policies, including the war in Yemen and the dispute with Qatar, something that Washington wants to see quickly resolved.
The crown prince’s arrival comes at a time of deep political uncertainty in the US, with a recent election defeat for the Republicans in Pennsylvania, a series of sackings and resignations of senior officials and persistent rumors that more are in the offing. In addition, a probe into Russian meddling in the US presidential election rumbles on, and appears to be circling ever closer to the White House.
Trump has proven to be an unpredictable and impulsive president, particularly on foreign policy issues. He angered Arab allies in December when he announced the relocation of the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, giving up a key regional bargaining chip without winning any concessions from the Israelis in return.
Kushner, the foreign policy adviser who is a bridge between the US and Saudi administrations, recently had his security clearance at the White House downgraded, raising questions about how much of a role he will be able to play in the upcoming talks.
While the White House is chaotic, the US State Department, which traditionally manages US-Saudi ties, is in complete disarray. Trump recently sacked his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, after a 13-month stint which left the US foreign service at a historically low ebb, understaffed and suffering low morale.
The Saudi delegation will not miss Tillerson, who’s unpopularity within the US foreign service was matched only by his unpopularity in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, where he was seen as soft in Iran and unsupportive of their boycott of Qatar over Doha’s links to extremist groups.
Former CIA director Mike Pompeo has been named as Tillerson’s likely successor, but he has to go through a system of congressional approval that means he will not take up his post during the Saudi visit. Pompeo shares the crown prince’s attitude that Iran must be confronted with a more aggressive strategy.
In the meantime, Trump seems likely to continue his management of foreign affairs through Kushner rather than the machinery of the State Department.
More than a year after taking over the White House, he has yet to appoint a US ambassador to Saudi Arabia or to name an assistant secretary for the Middle East, traditionally key figures involved in maintaining US-Saudi ties.
Those vacancies remain a concern to foreign policy experts in Washington, who fear that Trump and Kushner, both New York City real estate traders, lack the experience and knowledge to manage complex foreign policy issues.
“It is frankly irresponsible not to have those key positions filled. The US-Saudi relationship is much too important to neglect in that way,” Smith, the former US ambassador to Riyadh, said.
Dangers from Iran will dominate Saudi crown prince’s talks with Trump
Dangers from Iran will dominate Saudi crown prince’s talks with Trump
Doctor describes difficulties in separating twins joined at the skull
- “Conjoined twins are rare, as has been said, but ‘cranomalies’ are extremely rare,” Dr. Felice D’Arco said
RIYADH: A London-based medical expert at a conference in Riyadh revealed the difficulties in separating a rare form of conjoined twins in which the patients are joined at the skull.
Dr. Felice D’Arco, consultant pediatric neurologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, spoke during the International Conference on Conjoined Twins on Sunday about the condition, which occurs in about one of every 2.5 million births worldwide.
“Conjoined twins are rare, as has been said, but ‘cranomalies’ are extremely rare,” he said.
For radiologists, this means there are no standardized CT and MRI scanning protocols in place for such complex cases, and very few recent cases from which to learn.
“We have protocols for everything, epilepsy, tumors, neurogenetic disorders, this is not the case for craniopagus twins because of their rarity,” D’Arco said.
Medical teams must be set in place, and there must be two of everything; two anesthetic teams, two sets of MRI monitoring, etc., the whole hospital staff is involved in what is considered as an operation taking place on two patients simultaneously, D’Arco explained.
While there is a need to standardize procedures, Dr. D’Arco acknowledged that every set of twins is unique.
“As a radiologist, you need to have the flexibility to change your protocol as needed.”
Therefore, he said, it is best to start with a series of questions relating to different critical parts of the body.
One potential issue is the bones. A dual source CT scan can inform radiologists which parts of the skull of each patient is infused, or “missing,” in the other.
Another problem is the relationship between the brains. D’Arco said that small breaches connecting the two brains, identified by 3D sequencing, present a risk that surgery will cause damage.
Considering the possible ethical and medical complications that could come up in cases in which one of the twins is at risk of dying, he said: “Sometimes you need to ask, can we separate without jeopardizing the lives of the children? These cases are complicated, baffling, and confusing.”
Riyadh Music Week to spotlight Saudi talent, creativity
- Event will include global summits, local performances, awards and cultural displays
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Music Commission, in collaboration with MDLBeast and the Saudi Research and Media Group, is poised to launch the inaugural Riyadh Music Week, running from Dec. 5 to 14 at various venues in the Saudi capital.
The event will spotlight the Kingdom’s growing music sector, highlighting its creative and commercial evolution. It will also serve as a platform for dialogue with international stakeholders on music policy and development.
Among the highlights is the Global Music Makers Summit, a premier gathering of industry leaders and policymakers from around the world.
The event will also celebrate Saudi traditional music, with small venues in Riyadh hosting performances to show off local musicians’ diversity and talent.
The week will also host the Music Cities Convention and Awards, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time.
Riyadh Music Week will include panel discussions, seminars and workshops led by industry experts, covering the latest global music trends.
The program incorporates key events from Riyadh’s music calendar, such as XP Music Futures, SoundStorm, and the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards.
The week provides a unique platform for local and international collaboration, celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich musical heritage and dynamic contemporary scene.
By supporting emerging and established artists, Riyadh Music Week underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to nurturing talent and growing its music industry.
The Saudi Music Commission, established in February 2020, leads this transformation, focusing on equal access to education, empowering talent and boosting the local economy.
Its efforts aim to enhance the Kingdom’s global musical identity while building world-class infrastructure and creating new industry opportunities.
Bangladesh Days celebrates heritage in Riyadh
RIYADH: The Bangladesh Days, held as part of Riyadh Season under the theme “Global Harmony,” concluded Saturday night at Al-Suwaidi Park, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Organized by the Ministry of Media and the General Entertainment Authority, the event attracted people of all ages and backgrounds, who were able to enjoy a rich cultural experience reflecting the diversity of Bangladeshi heritage.
Bangladesh Days offered visitors the opportunity to taste renowned Bengali cuisine, purchase traditional clothing and artisanal items, and attend folkloric performances.
The activities provided a comprehensive experience, offering a close-up look at the vibrant traditions of Bangladesh and reflecting the cultural diversity Riyadh Season seeks to highlight.
The “Global Harmony” initiative celebrates a variety of cultures, including those of India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Bangladesh, and Egypt.
Riyadh Season has already drawn more than 6 million visitors from around the world, according to Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.
The inspiring story behind Saudi Arabia’s Conjoined Twins Program
RIYADH: Ahead of the International Conference on Conjoined Twins held in Riyadh, Saudi aid agency KSrelief Supervisor-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah hosted a media roundtable on Saturday to discuss the goals and expectations of the two-day conference that concludes on Nov. 25.
Recalling the inspiration behind the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, Al-Rabeeah explained that in 1990, amid the Second Gulf War, a set of Sudanese conjoined twins, Samah and Heba, were seeking financial support from King Fahd to get treatment abroad.
King Fahd brought the issue to Al-Rabeeah’s team at the time at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, and after months of tests and deliberations, they completed the first successful conjoined twins separation surgery in the Kingdom.
The operation took 18 and a half hours.
“We started to invest in the nationalization of the medical team until … all specialties were from Saudi Arabia,” Al-Rabeeah said. “Today we have seen 143 sets over 34 years. We have separated 61 sets with 100 percent success … and we have 7 sets waiting to be separated.”
King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital now has the only known conjoined twins operating room.
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman moved this program under KSrelief to support low-income families and families from conflict zones.
“Humanity has no politics, no boundaries, no religion, and no color,” said Al-Rabeeah.
The conference will cover a range of topics, including the candidacy process, antenatal and post-natal care, cardiac conditions, ethical considerations, reconstruction, and 3D imaging.
Al-Rabeeah also said the conference is set to discuss and sign several UN agreements related to children, including on conjoined twins, polio vaccination in Afghanistan, artificial limbs, infectious diseases in children, and the children of Gaza.
He also spoke about the importance of combining medical knowledge in the Gulf and working together to create specialized centers across the region for different matters, to make operations more cost-effective and advanced.
“Science is not owned, it is for everybody,” the Saudi aid agency chief said.
On the technological developments that are optimizing this procedure, Al-Rabeeah mentioned the use of argon lasers, ultrasonic knives, new electric coatings to avoid bleeding, less sensitive prosthetics, and, most importantly, early diagnosis.
Al-Rabeeah said that the greatest research in this program has been done on early detection of conjoined twins in the womb. They are now capable of detecting conjoined twins sometimes at just eight to 10 weeks.
Al-Rabeeah’s most crucial piece of advice is urging women to start prenatal care early.
The importance of psychological care for both the patients and the families was also discussed. Al-Rabeeah pointed out what is referred to as “separation trauma” that twins endure when learning how to adjust to their bodies after having been connected all their lives.
“The twins, they have pain, they have suffered. I have seen two kinds of tears in my life. We all know about the tears of despair, the tears of pain. But with conjoined twins, I have seen clearly the tears of happiness and joy.
“When I come out of the operating room, going in with one bed, and coming out with two beds … this is the best moment in my life.”
Separated twins, families visit 2034 World Cup exhibit, historic At-Turaif district
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief organized a special visit for conjoined twins who had undergone separation surgeries in the Kingdom, along with their families, to Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid exhibition.
The visit was organizaed on the sidelines of the International Conference on Conjoined Twins, held in Riyadh from Nov. 24-25.
The twins and their families also toured the historic At-Turaif district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its stunning architecture, which reflects Saudi Arabia’s scientific and cultural advances.
At the end of the visit, the twins and their families expressed their gratitude to the Kingdom, represented by KSrelief, for organizing the visit and for the warm hospitality of the Saudi people.
