On the third day of his trip to the Middle East, US President Joe Biden arrived in the coastal city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia today. Upon arrival, he received an extremely cold reception compared to his predecessor, Donald Trump. He was greeted at the airport by Khalid al-Faisal, Governor of Mecca, and Rima bint Bandar, Ambassador to the United States – a clear rebuff for the US President in view of their rank.
According to his security advisor Jake Sullivan, Biden wants to address the human rights situation in the Gulf monarchy during his controversial visit to Saudi Arabia. Among other things, a meeting with the Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was planned. Biden plans to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council summit tomorrow.
Biden’s meeting, particularly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is controversial. US intelligence services blamed the crown prince for the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Chaschoggi in Istanbul. The visit to the strictly conservative monarchy, in which women’s and human rights are still severely restricted despite some easing, brought Biden a lot of criticism beforehand and during the trip.