Saudi Arabia urges Trump to intervene as Sudan conflict worsens

US President Donald Trump has pledged to help end the war in Sudan, saying he began working on the file shortly after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged him to intervene.

Speaking on Wednesday at a major investment conference in Saudi Arabia—one day after hosting Prince Mohammed at the White House—Trump said his administration moved quickly once the request was made. “We’ve already started working on that,” he told delegates, adding that discussions began “within half an hour” of their meeting.

In a subsequent social media post, Trump said Washington would coordinate with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and other Middle Eastern partners to halt atrocities in Sudan and support efforts to stabilise the country.

Sudan has been engulfed in war since 2023, when a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces derailed plans for a transition to civilian rule. The conflict has unleashed brutal ethnic violence, large-scale destruction and one of the world’s worst displacement crises, drawing in regional actors and raising fears the country could fragment.

According to five people familiar with the talks, the Saudi crown prince believes Trump’s direct involvement could break the deadlock in negotiations, citing the US president’s recent role in securing a ceasefire in Gaza. Prince Mohammed also appeared to appeal to Trump’s self-image as a dealmaker, the president suggested.

“He mentioned Sudan yesterday and said, ‘Sir, you’re talking about a lot of wars, but there’s a place called Sudan—and it’s terrible what’s happening there,’” Trump told the audience.

For Saudi Arabia, resolving the conflict carries significant national-security stakes, given Sudan’s long Red Sea coastline directly across from the kingdom.

“Tremendous atrocities are taking place in Sudan,” Trump wrote. “It has become the most violent place on Earth and the world’s single biggest humanitarian crisis. Food, doctors and everything else are desperately needed.”