Biden set to meet Saudi’s MBS in 1st West Asia trip
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden will, as a part of a wider West Asia tour, travel to Saudi Arabia and meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) next month in a bid to repair and build on ties with one of Washington’s closest allies, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Ending weeks of speculation, the White House said that Biden will travel to Israel, the Palestinian West Bank, and Saudi Arabia from July 13-16 -- his first trip to West Asia since taking office.
During his visit to Israel, the president will also participate in the first leader-level virtual summit of the I2-U2 grouping, which includes Israel, India, United Arab Emirates and the US, and is also sometimes called the western Quad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate in the meeting virtually.
A senior US administration official said, “The leaders will discuss the food security crisis and other areas of cooperation across hemispheres where the UAE and Israel serve as important innovation hubs.”
But the major political takeaway from the visit is the reset in ties with Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration had categorically blamed MBS, as he is popularly referred to, for the 2018 killing of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden had threatened to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” and “pay a price” when he took office.
But strategic imperatives have forced the administration, in recent months, to recast its policy approach.
Saudi Arabia is crucial to sustaining a ceasefire with Yemen, and, as the chair of OPEC, its decision on ramping up oil production is central to stabilising energy prices which have shot up in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Israel — Washington’s closest ally in the region — has also lobbied hard to get the Biden administration to normalise ties with MBS, as both Jerusalem and Riyadh deepen ties in the face of what they see as a common challenge from Iran.
In Israel, Biden will reinforce Washington’s “iron-clad” commitment to Israel’s security and prosperity, the White House said. In West Bank, he will engage with the Palestinian Authority and reiterate his support for the “two-state solution”.