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US president Joe Biden is set to discuss volatile oil prices at an event in Saudi Arabia. Arab heads on Saturday Saudi Arabia, the final destination in the president’s Middle East tour.

In his first visit into the region in his new role as the president Biden will also define his vision of Washington’s position in the region , in order to ensure that he does not lose influence to Russia as well as China.

He’s planning to announce next week that US is investing $1 billion to food aid to North Africa and the Middle East and North Africa due to the growing food insecurity caused by the conflict in Ukraine an official from the top informed reporters.

Saturday’s gathering held in Jeddah is expected to bring together the leaders of the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.

Biden arrived on the day before on Saudi Arabia, a longtime US allies who he had once promised to take an “pariah” regarding its human rights record and also met the King Salman and the de actual King Salman and the of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Tensions have been running very high among Biden as well as Prince Mohammed, especially after Biden’s administration announced US intelligence reports that showed Prince Mohammed “approved” an operation that targeted journalists Jamal Khashoggi, whose killing and dismemberment inside the Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate in 2018 provoked worldwide outrage.

Following a fist-bump smooch to Prince Mohammed, Biden said Khashoggi’s issue was “at the highest level” of their discussion as well as “made it clear that if something happens again, they’ll receive that same reaction and more”.

Its Al-Arabiya station quoted an official from the Saudi official as saying that the two “addressed the Jamal Khashoggi swiftly” and the Prince Mohammed “confirmed that what occurred was regrettable and that we’ve adopted all legal measures to avoid” the possibility of a repeat.

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Prince Mohammed also pointed out that “such an incident could happen everywhere around the globe” He also emphasized “a many of the mistakes” committed by Washington including the practice of torturing detainees in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Biden faces pressure to discuss human rights concerns again on Saturday, after a host of British and US lawmakers asked Biden to address Egypt’s “extensive system of Repression” during talks in talks with Egyptian colleague Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The new agreements

Biden is keen to renew his engagement with US allies Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of oil and an huge buyer of arms.

Washington is urging Saudi Arabia to open the floodgates in order to reduce soaring fuel prices, which could hurt Democratic chances of winning the November midterm elections.

However, Biden on Friday attempted to dispel any hopes that his trip would bring immediate benefits.

“I’m doing everything I can to boost the supply of the United States of America,” He said, adding that tangible results will not be observed “for some

Riyadh along with Washington on Friday signed 18 agreements in topics like space, energy health and investment as well as the development of 5G and 6G technologies according to an Saudi statement.

A second statement stated that the two sides emphasized “the significance of their investment and economic cooperation, particularly in the context of the current crisis that is raging in Ukraine and its repercussions and reaffirming their determination to ensure the security of the international market for energy.”

Saudi Arabia agreed to link the electric grids that are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council to Iraq which is heavily dependent on the energy supply of Iran, “in order to supply Iraq and its inhabitants with new and diverse energy source,” the White House stated.

A senior administration official announced that the Gulf bloc will commit $3 billion to an international infrastructure program designed to combat the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.

“Russia is effectively placing an investment in Iran. We’re betting on a more cohesive and stable, prosperous and peaceful Middle East region,” the official claimed in an apparent dig towards Russian Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s plans to travel to Iran in the coming week.

Beyond oil Biden declared that the main focus of this trip is “positioning America in this region to be a leader in the near future”.

“We will not leave a gap of the Middle East for Russia or China to fill, and we’re already seeing outcomes,” He said.

Israeli ties

White House officials have used this trip as an opportunity to boost the integration of Israel as well as Arab nations.

The issue of the strategically important Red Sea islands of Tiran as well as the neighboring Sanafir will also be discussed on Saturday’s agenda.

Egypt has ceded the islands during 2016 Saudi Arabia, but the agreement needs Israel’s permission — which could lead to contact with Israel Jewish government and Riyadh.

Biden announced on Friday that a decades-old multilateral peacekeeping force, which includes US troops, will depart Tiran The White House adding they would be gone by the end the year.

Saudi Arabia has refused to sign the United States-brokered Abraham Accords which in 2020 established relations with Israel as well as two of the kingdom’s neighbors which include Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

However, it is showing signs of a greater willingness toward Israel and, the government announced on Friday that it will be lifting restrictions on overflights for aircraft that fly between and to Israel in a move that Biden called “historic”.

Israeli temporary PM Yair Lapid went on to say by stating: “This is the first official step to normalize relations to Saudi Arabia.”

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