Three sources familiar with the plans told NBC News Tuesday that the United States and Saudi Arabia will announce Tuesday their joint visit to the Gulf state by President Joe Biden. They will hold bilateral talks next month, and also meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Sources indicated that the two-day trip was scheduled for July 15-16.
According to sources, the first day will feature bilateral talks with the crown prince. Biden will meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council on the second day. It is made up of leaders from the Gulf countries.
The White House did no immediate respond to a request for comment.
According to several sources, the announcement will be made about 10 days after a trip planned for late June to Israel and Saudi Arabia was canceled.
Biden answered NBC News’ questions last week about a possible trip in Riyadh. He said that he would discuss the possibility of improving relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia if he did go. According to three sources who have knowledge of the matter, the Saudis aren’t yet ready to recognize Israel, as they have not recognized other Arab countries.
Biden denied that the long-discussed trip to Saudi Arabia was primarily intended to get the Saudis to pump additional oil to lower rising gas prices due to U.S. sanctions and European Union sanctions against Russian oil exports following its invasion of Ukraine. Other U.S. officials acknowledge that the oil issue is important.
Critics, including a group of relatives of 9/11 victims, are against Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia. Although the Saudis deny that their government was involved in the terrorist plot, 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.
Officials from the Administration claim that Biden will address human right issues, but the visit is primarily aimed at fixing relations after Biden in 2019 called Saudi Arabia a “pariah state” for the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi (a regime critic).
Biden authorized declassification of a CIA investigation that concluded the crown prince was ultimately responsible.
Other major issues include the civil war in Yemen where the Saudis helped to achieve a ceasefire and our shared concern about Iran’s development of its nuclear program.
