US President Barack Obama will host youthful Saudi Arabian prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House Friday, dramatically underscoring the royal's meteoric rise to power in the kingdom. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said that Obama would meet the 30-year-old deputy crown prince, who holds a pivotal role in pushing economic reform and in Saudi Arabia's security apparatus. Salman, the king's son and officially the country's defense minister, has met most of Washington's big hitters during a week-long visit, including the CIA director, secretaries of state and defense, and leading members of Congress.