Saudi Prince Ends Silicon Valley Tour at Facebook Before UN Trip

Prince Mohammed met CEO Zuckerberg while in California
UN’s Ban Ki-moon met the prince in New York after Yemen flap

Saudi defence minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seen during a meeting with United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter in Washington, on June 16.
Photographer:Pool/Bandar Algaloud /Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

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By Nafeesa Syeed and Kambiz Foroohar

June 22, 2016 at 7:39 PM UTC

Updated on

June 23, 2016 at 4:57 AM UTC

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Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince met Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg during a tour of Silicon Valley and then traveled to New York for meetings at the United Nations in a bid to de-escalate a row with the secretary-general.

In the second week of a U.S. trip aimed at improving ties with government officials and drumming up investment, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman met Zuckerberg for the first time. Photos released by the prince’s office showed him wearing jeans and a blazer while touring the Menlo Park, California, campus with Zuckerberg and trying on an Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset.