President Joe Biden arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday and gave Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a fist bump and shook hands with King Salman, coming after then-candidate Biden pledged to make the kingdom a “pariah” on the world stage.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday that the flight “follows the monumental decision to open Saudi airspace to all civilian carriers without discrimination, a decision that includes flights to and from Israel.”
Energy and security interests prompted Biden and his aides to decide not to isolate the Gulf oil giant that has been strengthening ties with Russia and China. Biden, who said he would discuss human rights during the visit, was met by Prince Khalid al-Faisal, the governor of Mecca province, which includes the Red Sea city of Jeddah….