"Biden Plans Visit to Saudi Arabia"... Can the Long-Standing 'Rivals' Resolve US-Saudi Relations?

Likely to Request Increased Oil Production

U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. / Photo by AP·EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly attempting to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, with whom he has had a historically 'hostile' relationship, according to foreign media reports.

On the 1st (local time), AP News and other foreign media cited multiple anonymous U.S. officials reporting that President Biden is planning to head to the Middle East immediately after attending the Group of Seven (G7) summit (June 26-28) in Germany and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit (June 29-30) in Spain later this month.

Sources said President Biden is considering attending the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The GCC is a regional cooperation organization formed by six Arab oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

If this meeting takes place, it will be the first encounter between President Biden and Crown Prince MBS since Biden took office. Before his inauguration, President Biden had taken a critical stance toward Crown Prince MBS but has recently made several attempts to improve relations. This comes amid international calls for Saudi Arabia to increase oil production to stabilize soaring oil prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Saudi Arabia has repeatedly refused.

In March, President Biden reportedly attempted a direct phone call with MBS, but according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, the Crown Prince's side declined the call.

A rally demanding the truth behind Jamal Khashoggi's murder held in front of the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul on October 25, 2018. / Photo by AP Yonhap News

The discord between Biden and MBS is largely attributed to the October 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a Saudi national, was killed after visiting the Saudi consulate in Turkey, and U.S. intelligence agencies identified Crown Prince MBS as the mastermind behind the killing.

Subsequently, during a November 2019 presidential debate, President Biden brought up the Khashoggi incident, stating, "We will make Saudi Arabia pay a price. We will isolate them internationally as a pariah," which severely worsened the relationship between the two leaders.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has been working to restore relations by sending high-level delegations, including the White House energy envoy, to Saudi Arabia last month. According to the Financial Times (FT) on the 1st, diplomatic sources revealed that Saudi Arabia conveyed to the U.S. its willingness to increase oil production if Western sanctions on Russia lead to reduced oil supply.

A source said, "Saudi Arabia has agreed to change its stance as part of reconciliation with the Biden administration to stabilize oil prices," adding, "If the oil market faces supply shortages, they will respond by increasing production."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.