Biden arrives in Saudi on historic visit, meets King Salman
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 also his first meeting with the kingdom’s crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Biden was met King Salman at the Royal Palace where he shook hands with the monarch. After that, the US President will participate in a larger meeting that would include the Crown Prince and other senior Saudi officials, as well as the president’s top advisers.
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.”
