• Jordan's King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Amman. Reuters
    Jordan's King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Amman. Reuters
  • King Abdullah presented the Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali to Prince Mohammed. Reuters
    King Abdullah presented the Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali to Prince Mohammed. Reuters
  • King Abdullah and Prince Mohammed inspect a guard of honour at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. Reuters
    King Abdullah and Prince Mohammed inspect a guard of honour at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. Reuters
  • The two last met in March 2021, when King Abdullah visited Prince Mohammed in Riyadh to check on him after appendicitis surgery. AFP
    The two last met in March 2021, when King Abdullah visited Prince Mohammed in Riyadh to check on him after appendicitis surgery. AFP
  • The guard of honour awaits the arrival of Prince Mohammed at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. EPA
    The guard of honour awaits the arrival of Prince Mohammed at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. EPA
  • Soldiers stand at attention shortly before Prince Mohammed's arrival. EPA
    Soldiers stand at attention shortly before Prince Mohammed's arrival. EPA
  • Prince Mohammed flew into Amman from Cairo, the first stop of a regional tour that will also take him to Turkey. AFP
    Prince Mohammed flew into Amman from Cairo, the first stop of a regional tour that will also take him to Turkey. AFP
  • Prince Mohammed said the goal of the talks was to 'push for a new phase of co-operation' between the two kingdoms. Reuters
    Prince Mohammed said the goal of the talks was to 'push for a new phase of co-operation' between the two kingdoms. Reuters
  • King Abdullah described Saudi Arabia as playing a 'pivotal role' in deepening inter-Arab co-operation. Reuters
    King Abdullah described Saudi Arabia as playing a 'pivotal role' in deepening inter-Arab co-operation. Reuters
  • Prince Mohammed is welcomed at the airport in Amman. He later held talks with King Abdullah at Husseiniya Palace in the Jordanian capital. AP
    Prince Mohammed is welcomed at the airport in Amman. He later held talks with King Abdullah at Husseiniya Palace in the Jordanian capital. AP
  • Prince Mohammed descends from the plane upon his arrival in Amman, Jordan. Reuters
    Prince Mohammed descends from the plane upon his arrival in Amman, Jordan. Reuters

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed holds talks with King Abdullah in Amman


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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Amman on Tuesday night on an official visit marking improved relations between the two US allies, who have been at odds over some Middle Eastern issues.

Jordanian state television footage showed King Abdullah receiving Prince Mohammed at Amman's Queen Alia International Airport.

King Abdullah and Prince Mohammed held talks at the Husseiniya Palace on the western outskirts in Amman and discussed possible Saudi investments in Jordan, as well as the Palestinian issue, the official Jordanian news agency said.

It quoted Prince Mohammed as saying the goal of the talks was to "push for a new phase of co-operation" between the countries.

King Abdullah described Saudi Arabia as playing a "pivotal role" in deepening inter-Arab cooperation, the agency said.

King Abdullah and Prince Mohammed last met in March 2021, when the king visited Prince Mohammed in Riyadh to check on him after appendicitis surgery.

Prince Mohammed flew into Amman from Cairo, the first stop of a regional tour that will also take him to Turkey.

Saudi and Egyptian officials signed agreements valued at $7.7 billion in Cairo and the prince held talks with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, official media said.

Saudi Arabia is also a major investor in Jordan and the two countries are close US allies.

Amman and Riyadh have differed in recent years over how to deal with the Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad and other regional issues, as Jordan became a transit centre for Captagon smuggled from Syria to Arabia.

The Jordanian military said on Tuesday it foiled a Captagon smuggling attempt form from Syria and seized 678,000 pills of the drug "in continuation of the efforts by the armed forces to preserve security".

Jordan's economy has been stagnant or retreating for the last 12 years, and unemployment is officially at a record high at around 23 per cent.

But this month the Jordanian government announced that it had awarded a 25-year concession to build a $400 million hospital and private university near Amman to a company mostly owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Foreign investment in Jordan peaked at $3.6 billion in 2006. It fell to $726 million in 2021 from 718 million in 2020, UN and World Bank data shows.

Prince Mohammed arrived in Egypt on Monday night. He is due to fly from Amman to Turkey on Wednesday.

Updated: June 22, 2022, 8:21 AM