Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia to begin historic visit

Agencies | Riyadh

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

President Joe Biden touched down in Saudi Arabia on Friday, working to improve ties with the nation as well as address other challenges, including rising petrol prices and regional issues.

It is Biden's first visit to Saudi Arabia since taking office, and his first meeting with the kingdom's crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The major question, important far beyond the day, is whether the 79-year-old U.S. president and the 36-year-old Saudi royal can reaffirm the longstanding strategic partnership between their two countries.

The future of the region, including the possibility of closer ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as the ebb and flow of the world’s oil supply, hang in the balance.

The visit may already be seen as a win for the crown prince, who is known by his initials MBS. His rise to power has ushered in a new era for the kingdom as it works to build a homegrown military and weapons industry, wean itself from reliance on oil for revenue and build ties with Israel and other nations.

There's been considerable speculation about both the choreography and the substance of how Biden would go about interacting with the crown prince.

Biden was expected to sit down first with King Salman for a bilateral meeting before participating in a larger meeting that would include Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other senior Saudi officials, as well as the president’s top advisers.

Asked if Biden would shake hands with MBS, a senior administration official demurred and noted the White House is “focused on the meetings, not the greetings.”

Biden arrived in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on the third day of a four-day swing through the Middle East. He spent the first two days meeting with Israeli officials and travelled to the West Bank on Friday to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and others before flying to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis took a step toward normalisation of relations with Israel before Biden's visit, announcing early Friday that it was opening its airspace to “all air carriers,” signalling the end of its strict limits on Israeli flights flying over its territory.

Biden hailed the decision as “an important step towards building a more integrated and stable Middle East region,” adding that the decision "can help build momentum toward Israel’s further integration into the region, including with Saudi Arabia.”

Biden also will take part in a Saturday gathering of leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — before returning to Washington. The leaders of other Mideast nations line Egypt, Iraq and Jordan are also to attend.