Biden Meets Saudi King, Crown Prince on Jeddah Visit

U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bump fists before heading inside the Al-Salam Royal Palace for a meeting with King Salman, in Jeddah.

U.S. President Joe Biden is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the last leg of his trip to the Middle East, flying directly from Tel Aviv on Friday just hours after the Saudi Kingdom announced the opening of its airspace to “all carriers,” ending the country’s ban on flights to and from Israel.

The decision is a gesture from Riyadh as part of a broader warming of relations between Israel and the Arab world as they align against the threat from Iran. Biden is claiming it to be the result of his administration’s push toward a more integrated and stable Middle East region.

“While this opening has long been discussed, now, thanks to months of steady diplomacy between my Administration and Saudi Arabia, it is finally a reality. Today, I will be the first president of the United States to fly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” Biden said in a statement.

Biden said the Saudi decision can “help build momentum toward Israel’s further integration into the region,” including with the kingdom itself – hinting at a potential diplomatic normalization that would be the most significant expansion of the Trump era Abraham Accords.

At the same time, his administration sought to repair ties with the Palestinians, offering economic and technical assistance as he met with President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, in Bethlehem on Friday.

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