The CIA recently concluded that MBS ordered the murder of the Saudi journalist (AFP)
Mohammed bin Salman has left Saudi Arabia to begin his first trip abroad since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the countrys state media outlet reported.
The powerful Saudi crown prince left the Gulf kingdom on Thursday “on a tour of a number of brotherly Arab countries”, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Bin Salman, also known as MBS, was welcomed in the United Arab Emirates by his close ally, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed.
"Were proud of our deep-rooted ties. Close cooperation and a fruitful partnership lies in store for our countries. The UAE will always be a loving and supportive home for our brothers in Saudi Arabia," bin Zayed said in a Twitter post.
MBS is also expected to visit Egypt, Bahrain and Tunisia on his tour abroad, a German news agency reported earlier this week.
He will then participate in a G20 meeting in Buenos Aires at the end of the month that will be attended by leaders from the United States, Turkey and European countries.
Delighted to welcome our state guest, brother Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Were proud of our deep-rooted ties. Close cooperation and a fruitful partnership lies in store for our countries. The UAE will always be a loving and supportive home for our brothers in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/MIrXsDBQ2m
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) November 22, 2018
The crown prince's foreign tour comes amid ongoing pressure over the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi government critic who was murdered inside the country's Istanbul consulate on 2 October.
Saudi officials maintain that the crown prince had no knowledge of Khashoggi's murder or its subsequent cover up.
However, the CIA said last Friday that it believes bin Salman ordered the journalist's killing.
Earlier this week, Karen Attiah, Khashoggi's editor at the Washington Post, said MBS should not be allowed to participate in the G20 summit.
"World leaders should not be gripping and grinning with tyrants who order the dismemberment of writers and the torture of womens rights campaigners," she tweeted, referring to a recent Amnesty International report on the alleged torture of several Saudi human rights activists inside a Jeddah prison.
Attiah also described reports that Donald Trump intends to meet with MBS during the summit as "disgraceful".
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is expected to attend the G-20 summit in Argentina
World leaders should not be gripping and grinning with tyrants who order the dismemberment of writers and the torture of womens rights campaigners #khashoggi https://t.co/cNaJC7cfnf
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) November 21, 2018
Donald Trump pledges support for MBS
Indeed, the US president has sought to cast doubt on the US intelligence agency's conclusion that MBS was responsible for Khashoggi's murder and recently pledged to maintain Washington's close ties to Riyadh.
In a long-winded and widely criticised written statement released by the White House on Tuesday, Trump said both MBS and his father, Saudi King Salman, "deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder" of Khashoggi.
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US will stand by Saudi Arabia despite Khashoggi killing, Trump says
"Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didnt!" he said.
"That being said, we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
However, that hasn't stopped other countries from continuing to demand answers over the journalist's murder.
On Thursday, the Qatari foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said "whoever is responsible for Khashoggi's death needs to be held accountable".
That echoed Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who earlier this week also called for accountability for whoever ordered the journalist's murder.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir recently said the kingdom would not tolerate any disparaging remarks against MBS, however, saying criticism of the crown prince constitutes "a red line".
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