US president Joe Biden is in Saudi Arabia during a four-day regional trip. Bin Salman received a cold greeting by the US president.
The Saudi Crown Prince received a fist bump from U.S. President on his arrival yesterday. It took place during a visit to Jeddah that is being scrutinized for verbal and motion language as the White House tries to mend the relationship.
The encounter between Joe Biden and Mohammed bin Salman had undergone extensive planning on the part of Washington. For his part in the murder of WP journalist and political critic, Bin Salman was seemingly an outcast for Washington during the past two years.
The president of the United States’ visit was characterized by a fist bump and silent interaction in front of the king’s palace with the MBS. Biden previously declared that he would designate Saudi Arabian de-facto ruler and his governance as a “pariah” state, but energy concerns changed his position.
Before flying to Israel for the first part of his tour, Biden’s advisers urged him to refrain from shaking hands. The cause was identified as the novel coronavirus subvariant that was fast growing across the world. But shortly after landing in Tel Aviv, Biden broke the rules and started shaking hands.
Before traveling to Jeddah, he kept shaking hands during his time in Israeli and Palestinian meetings. Bin Salman fist bump was also followed by a hand shake with King Salman of Saudi Arabia.
“For some reason, Biden’s political team thinks a fist bump is less of a statement of friendship than a handshake and planned to have him fist bump,” said an American analyst. One of the many subjects that soured relations between Riyadh and Washington will likely be discussed by Biden on his visit to Saudi Arabia: human rights.
Bin Salman and Joe Biden
On his first visit to Saudi Arabia as US president, Joe Biden has concentrated on the upcoming conference with six Persian Gulf nation along with some others like Iraq. En route, he undermined the meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and his political agenda. Due to human rights violations, the meeting with MbS has garnered condemnation in Washington and across the region.
The governor of the Mecca Province greeted Biden upon his arrival in the Jeddah. The absence of the crown prince, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, was the first diplomatic signal.
Prior to a president’s arrival, Washington typically discloses the list of the foreign dignitaries who will greet him. However, specifics this time were kept a secret until after Biden had departed the airport for curious reasons.
Former U.S. President was welcomed by King Salman when he arrived in Saudi Arabia after a year into his office. Donald Trump’s tight relationship with MbS led the Saudi King, who seldom makes open appearances, to welcome him.
It was on Tuesday night, following a congressional gathering on the South Lawn of the White House that Biden left for Tel Aviv. Not surprisingly, Biden engaged in multiple handshakes there before starting his tour through the Middle East.
US President stated after meetings on Friday that he took up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at a talk with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince. Mohammed bin Salman gave an evasive nod in response, according to reports.
With the Saudi government, Biden claimed to have had a nice set of talks. He achieved considerable strides in the areas of security and economy, but he also focused heavily on human rights. “I made clear that the topic was vitally important to me and the United States,” Biden reiterated at the press conference.
