Biden decides on visit to Saudi Arabia

US President Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden has decided to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks and is expected to meet with the kingdom’s Crown Prince.

Biden’s first trip to the kingdom as president is likely to occur later this month but details have not been finalised, a person familiar with the planning told The Associated Press.

Biden publicly acknowledged on Friday that he may travel to Saudi Arabia soon, a trip that multiple sources say is expected and could include talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Biden told reporters that he does not yet have direct plans to make a trip to Saudi Arabia but if he does it would be to try to advance Middle East peace prospects.

Sources familiar with the process say Biden is planning a trip to Saudi Arabia in conjunction with a trip to Europe and Israel in late June.

The visit would be aimed at bolstering relations with Saudi Arabia at a time when Biden is trying to find ways to lower gasoline prices in the United States.

Biden would participate in a Riyadh summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional union whose members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, sources said.

“There is a possibility that I would be going to meet with both the Israelis and some Arab countries at the time including I expect would be Saudi Arabia would be included in that if I did go. But I have no direct plans at the moment,” he said.

Prospects for a Biden visit improved on Thursday when OPEC + agreed to increase oil output by 200,000 barrels in July and August and a ceasefire in the Yemen war was extended.

The White House on Thursday praised Saudi Arabia for its role securing an Opec pledge to pump more oil and the president himself lauded the Saudis for agreeing to a ceasefire extension in its eight-year old war with Yemen that was also announced on Thursday.

In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged what she said was Saudi Arabia’s role “in achieving consensus” within the oil producers’ bloc. She thanked the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq as well.

Jean-Pierre also directly cited “the leadership of King Salman and the Crown Prince’’ in Thursday’s announcement of an extended UN ceasefire in Yemen.

The White House is weighing a Biden visit that would also include a meeting of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates — as well as Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, according to the person familiar with White House planning, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be finalised trip.

The visit would be aimed at bolstering relations with Saudi Arabia at a time when Biden is trying to find ways to lower gasoline prices in the United States.

Jean-Pierre would not confirm the Biden trip is planned but said: “What the president is focused on first and foremost is how his engagements with foreign leaders advance American interests. That’s as true with Saudi Arabia as anywhere else.” A senior White House official said Biden was looking for opportunities to meet leaders in the Middle East and he will do so “if he determines that its in the interests of the United States ... and that such an engagement can deliver results.”

The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN, quoting anonymous sources, said that Biden would go ahead with the long-rumoured Saudi stop on an upcoming trip.

Biden would be expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman during the visit.

GULF NEWS