Biden to meet with Saudi crown prince in July visit
The president is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah following a visit to Israel and the West Bank, a senior administration official said.
President Joe Biden, who on the campaign trail vowed to make Saudi Arabia a global “pariah” for its human rights abuses, is expected to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he travels to the kingdom next month, the White House confirmed to reporters Tuesday.
Biden’s visit to the oil-rich country comes as part of a broader trip to the Middle East from July 13-16. Following stops in Israel and the West Bank, Biden will fly directly to the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah to attend a summit of nine leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.
A senior administration official said Biden expects to see the powerful crown prince, who US intelligence says ordered the operation that killed dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The prince, who is often referred to as “MBS,” has denied personal involvement.
The Saudi Embassy in Washington said in a statement that the kingdom looks forward to “defining the next chapters of our partnership” with the United States and confirmed that Biden and the crown prince “will hold official talks” in Jeddah.
