Biden arrives Jeddah for an official visit to Saudi Arabia
Jul 15, 2022
Jeddah [Saudi Arabia], July 15 : US President Joe Biden landed in Saudi Arabia on Friday for an official visit to the Kingdom, according to media reports.
Saudi Arabia is Biden's final stop during his first trip to the Middle East as president of the United States. He visited the kingdom at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The US President is scheduled to meet the king and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. He will also attend a joint conference on Saturday with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, as well as leaders from Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.
The trip, which began on July 13 and is expected to end on July 16, also took Biden to Israel and the West Bank.
Biden's first official visit to the Middle East shows that, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the big energy crisis created for European countries, he has realized that he must reverse the US strategy of withdrawal from the Middle East and try to recalibrate his relations with Middle East leaders.
Biden visited Israel on Wednesday. He said: "You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist. It's an honour to once again stand with friends and visit the independent Jewish state of Israel."
He discussed the continued growth of the bilateral relations between generations, asserting, "The connection between the Israeli people and the American people is bone deep."
Biden pledged to "fight the poison of antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head," noting the "horror" of the Holocaust and his planned visit to Yad Vashem.
The US president then turned to collaboration between the two countries, particularly in the realm of security, saying he will explore cutting-edge Israeli defence systems, the Iron Dome and the brand-new laser-powered "Iron Beam".
Biden hopes to advance Israel's desire to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia which could help the Middle East countries unite against Iran. Israel has already formalized relations with United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
