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President Joe Biden will travel to Saudi Arabia during a four-day visit to the Middle East next month, culminating months of delicate diplomacy as gasoline prices surged in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden will travel to Jeddah July 15-16 to meet with Saudi and other Gulf leaders. The long-speculated trip comes after the president vowed to make the kingdom a “pariah” after the brutal 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The president has pushed back on suggestions that he is seeking help over high gasoline prices.
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Biden will discuss regional security but will also bring up human rights “behind closed doors,” a senior administration official said. The president is expected to “see” the country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during the visit, the official added.
Biden will begin the visit in Israel on July 13 to meet with leaders and discuss increased cooperation with regional powers and will also visit the West Bank to consult with the Palestinian Authority and reiterate his support for a two-state solution, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
In Saudi Arabia, “a strategic partner” of the United States for nearly eighty years, Biden will attend a Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council and discuss new infrastructure and climate initiatives, as well security threats from Iran, the White House said.
“We have important interests interwoven with Saudi Arabia, and engagement is essential to protecting advancing those interests on behalf of the American people … and for advancing our strategy towards a more stable, more peaceful, and more integrated region,” the senior official told reporters on a call to announce the trip. “The president’s looking forward to it.”
The prospect of a visit has been marred by controversy over Khashoggi’s killing, with the Saudi journalist’s widow urging Biden to sit down with her before the president travels to the region. A U.S. intelligence report released after Biden took office determined the crown prince was responsible for the former Washington Post columnist’s murder.
A White House statement said Biden would meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, along with the leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.
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A statement by the Saudi Embassy said Biden and the crown prince will also “hold official talks.”
“The Crown Prince and President Biden will hold official talks that will focus on various areas of bilateral cooperation and joint efforts to address regional and global challenges,” the statement said.
