Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia, concluding Middle East tour
US President Joe Biden has arrived in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, where he was received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Al-Salam Palace.
After Biden's meetings with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the US president is now on his way to Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to meet not only bin Salman but also Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
This meeting, marked by the symbolism it brings with it due to the fact that relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia have been characterised by convulsions, Washington is expected to reach an agreement with Riyadh in several sectors, especially in the energy sphere, where there is currently a major crisis marked by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In addition, the Democrat will try to build bridges between Israel and Saudi Arabia with the aim of gradually normalising diplomatic relations between the Arab countries and Israel, although Riyadh still does not have any kind of relationship or rapprochement with Tel Aviv.
#WATCH: US President @JoeBiden meets with #SaudiArabia's King Salman at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah #SaudiUSSummit https://t.co/lPfbzRW6il pic.twitter.com/oSz7gTfRf4
— Arab News (@arabnews) July 15, 2022
However, Saudi Arabia has lifted its airspace closure to civilian aircraft flying to or from Israel, which has already been described as "a first step" towards rapprochement between the two countries. In fact, Biden's arrival in the Saudi kingdom marks the first time that a plane taking off from Israel has arrived directly in Saudi Arabia. In the words of the US president, 'Saudi Arabia's decision can help build momentum towards greater Israeli integration in the region, including with Saudi Arabia'.
This event would only have taken place between flights connecting Israel and the United Arab Emirates, as a result of the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, which normalised and formalised relations between several Arab countries and Israel for the first time. This milestone marked a turning point in diplomacy in the Middle East region, and now, with the official visit of the US president, it is hoped that relations and cooperation will be further strengthened.
Following this meeting, the conclusions of which are not yet known, Biden will attend a meeting scheduled for the following day with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iraqi and Jordanian leaders are also expected to attend.
Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra
