The White House announced Tuesday morning President Joe Biden will take a trip to the Middle East next month, including to Saudi Arabia.
"President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will visit the Middle East region from July 13-16 to reinforce the United States’ iron-clad commitment to Israel’s security and prosperity and attend a Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan (known as the GCC+3). He will also meet with counterparts from across the region, to advance U.S. security, economic, and diplomatic interests," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released in a statement. "The President will begin his travel in Israel, where he will meet with Israeli leaders to discuss Israel’s security, prosperity, and its increasing integration into the greater region. The President will also visit the West Bank to consult with the Palestinian Authority and to reiterate his strong support for a two-state solution, with equal measures of security, freedom, and opportunity for the Palestinian people."
"The President will then travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which is the current chair of the GCC and the venue for this gathering of nine leaders from across the region, at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. The President appreciates King Salman’s leadership and his invitation. He looks forward to this important visit to Saudi Arabia, which has been a strategic partner of the United States for nearly eight decades," the statement continues. "While in Saudi Arabia, the President will discuss a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues."
For weeks the White House has refused to confirm the trip to Saudi Arabia as tensions with the Kingdom remain strained. President Joe Biden has previously referred to the country as a "pariah state." Just two days ago, Biden refused to say whether he planned to visit.
Joe Biden says he hasn't decided whether to visit Saudi Arabia, who he previously called "a pariah," to beg for more oil.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 13, 2022
20 seconds later, he says, "It happens to be a larger meeting taking place in Saudi Arabia. That's the reason I'm going." pic.twitter.com/K4bK6eAZAV