January 1, White House Confirms Biden’s Rumored Trip to Saudi Arabia

A senior White House official has confirmed that President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to the Middle East will include a visit to Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The visit, rumored for weeks, comes as a surprise after Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” during his 2020 campaign and U.S. intelligence concluded that MBS ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi — which Saudi officials deny.

Saudi Arabia also confirmed that Biden would meet MBS and his father, King Salman, on July 15 “to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation as well as joint efforts to address regional and global challenges.”

Biden’s trip takes place from July 13-16. He is also expected to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and attend a virtual summit with the leaders of India, Israel, the U.S., and UAE.