The White House confirmed on Friday, for the first time, that U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman without the presence of King Salman bin Abdulaziz during his visit to Jeddah. According to the visit schedule, the Saudi king will only attend about 30 minutes of the bilateral meetings on Friday evening. This was expected due to the king's health, but this is the first time the White House has publicly acknowledged it. Biden and the Saudi crown prince will continue their meeting after the king's departure. The Biden administration has previously attempted to send a message to the Saudi crown prince by arranging phone calls between Biden and the Saudi king instead of engaging in direct communication "with a counterpart," as former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated in early 2021.
Title: The White House Decides on Biden's Meeting with Bin Salman
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