The kingdom’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was once shunned in diplomatic circles. Now he is playing an important role in negotiations over Gaza and Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed plans for Gaza during a meeting on Monday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. Rubio is visiting the Middle East after President Donald Trump infuriated the Arab world with a proposal for the Palestinian residents of the war-torn strip to be resettled in other Arab nations and for the U.

In a high-stakes meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) discuss President Trump’s controversial proposal for resettling Palestinian residents of Gaza into other Arab nations.

Marco Rubio’s visit to Riyadh, his first as secretary of state, came amid uncertainty about the future of Gaza and Ukraine and criticism of unilateral U.S. moves over the wars in both places.

Israel has expressed its commitment to a US proposal to take over Gaza and displace the Palestinian residents as Washington's top diplomat holds talks in Saudi Arabia on the future of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is committed to US President Donald Trump's plan for the creation of a different Gaza,

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is holding meetings in Saudi Arabia on Monday to discuss President Trump's displacement and redevelopment plans for the Gaza Strip.