President Joe Biden is leaning towards making a visit to Saudi Arabia – a trip that would likely bring him face-to-face with Saudi crown prince he once shunned as a killer.
The White House is weighing a visit to Saudi Arabia that would also include a meeting of leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) as well as Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, according to a person familiar with White House planning.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss yet-to-be finalized plans. It comes at a moment when overriding US strategic interests in oil and security have pushed administration to rethink arms-length stance that Biden pledged to take with Saudis as a candidate for White House.
