US President Joe Biden arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday and met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.
Biden’s direct flight is the first by an American president from Israel to Saudi Arabia, the last stop of the president’s Middle East tour. In 2017, his predecessor, Donald Trump, made the journey in reverse.
Biden was received by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Makkah province, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on the third day of a four-day swing through the Middle East.
Saudi ambassador to the United States, Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud was also present at the airport.
Biden, wearing sunglasses, emerged from Air Force One to walk down a purple carpet and be greeted by Mecca province governor Prince Khaled al-Faisal and Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington.
Later, the state-run Al-Ekhbariya channel showed Prince Mohammed, the kingdom’s de facto leader, greeting Biden with a fist bump and escorting him into a palace.
Biden met 86-year-old Saudi King Salman before participating in a “working session” headed by Prince Mohammed, according to a programme distributed by Saudi officials.
US officials are touting efforts to promote integration between Israel and Arab nations.
Jeddah marks the final stop on Biden’s Middle East tour, following Friday’s talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and meetings with Israeli officials a day earlier.
On Saturday Biden is due to meet Arab leaders from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq to discuss volatile oil prices and Washington’s role in the region.
“Saudi Arabia’s decision can help build momentum toward Israel’s further integration into the region, including with Saudi Arabia,” the US leader had earlier said.