What were we begging for? Was it oil? nope. Why was he there?
But as Joe Biden prepares to become the 46th president, it is improbable that he will make Riyadh a repeat port of call.
Biden has pledged to "reassess" the U.S. relationship with the oil-rich, deeply conservative kingdom, and Saudi Arabia is likely to have a less privileged and personal relationship with the Biden administration than it has had with the Trump team, some analysts say.
Saudi Arabia was notably slow to publicly congratulate Biden on his projected presidential victory. A cable was sent from King Salman over 24 hours after American media called Biden's win.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and President Donald Trump at a reception ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 20, 2017.Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court / Reuters file
The delay was not unexpected. Amity between the two countries had grown especially warm under Trump and Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. From the start of his presidency,
Trump cultivated Saudi Arabia and placed the kingdom at the heart of his Middle East policy, backing its stance against Iran and encouraging its purchase of U.S.-made weapons.
The president
praised a Saudi crackdown on hundreds of top businessmen, officials and members of the royal family at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh in November 2017.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Saudi Arabia earlier today. He's there to meet with officials about the recent attacks on the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco. Saudi officials say those attacks were unquestionably sponsored by Iran. The U.S. has the same view. Iran denies involvement.
During the two-day visit to the kingdom, Trump is expected to sign a major weapons deal, give a speech on
Islam and discuss the battle against “terrorism” with more than 50 leaders.
