Biden, Saudi Crown Prince Begin Meeting as U.S. Looks to Reset Ties With Riyadh
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia—President Biden met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a fist bump Friday, as he arrived here to reset relations with a leader he once shunned and prod the kingdom to help control oil prices and deepen its ties with Israel.
Mr. Biden landed in Saudi Arabia before sunset following a rare direct flight from Israel nearly three years after promising to treat the kingdom like a “pariah” over human-rights issues, a vow that helped bring U.S.-Saudi relations to a breaking point. He is now betting that engaging personally with the kingdom’s young leader will ultimately help reassert U.S. leadership in the Middle East while helping him eventually tame high inflation at home.
