WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama hosted Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House Friday, underscoring his guest's pivotal role in managing strained US-Saudi ties.

The 30-year-old — who has become the driving force behind economic reform — swept into the West Wing with a band of aides.

The deputy crown prince has met the very biggest of Washington's big hitters during a week-long visit.

He held talks with the CIA director, the secretaries of state, defense and treasury, as well as leading members of Congress.

The White House said the deputy crown prince's meeting with Obama will take place in the Oval Office — a rare honor for a non-head of state, one not afforded to the Dalai Lama earlier in the week.

High on the agenda of the meeting will be the deputy crown prince’s efforts to overhaul Saudi Arabia's state-dominated and oil-dependent economy, bringing in the private sector and creating jobs for the country's young population.

After the deputy crown prince met top US economic policymakers on Wednesday, including Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, the White House "underscored the United States' desire to be a key partner in helping Saudi Arabia implement its ambitious economic reform program."