Biden commits to allies ahead of trip to Middle East

A senior White House official announced that US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, would reassure Washington’s allies that it was “not going anywhere.”

The White House and the Royal Court announced earlier that King Salman invited Biden to Jeddah to participate in the GCC+3 summit. Nine different heads of state will be present, including the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.

Multiple attempts by US officials to get Saudi Arabia to up its oil production amid the Russian invasion, including trips to Saudi Arabia by the top White House official for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, and US energy advisor Amos Hochstein, came up empty-handed. But OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia, announced plans to increase output by 50 percent this summer after soaring gas prices were witnessed partly due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

While it’s no secret that ties between the US and Saudi Arabia quickly soured following Biden’s election, some US officials have voiced support for strengthened relations between Washington and Riyadh.

Biden and his administration repeatedly said they wanted to “recalibrate” ties with Saudi Arabia and made several foreign policy moves targeting Riyadh. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and soaring energy prices being felt by Americans, Biden sought Riyadh’s help.

Under Biden, the US has been criticized for what has been seen as a certain level of disengagement from the Middle East as it shifts focus to threats from China and Russia. After more than a year in office, Biden will be making his first trip to the region with stops in Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia.