US President Joe Biden is set to discuss fluctuating oil prices during a summit meeting with Arab leaders today, Saturday, in Jeddah, the last stop on his Middle Eastern tour that also took him to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The summit includes leaders from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, as announced in a statement from the White House. Biden arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday, a country he had previously pledged to make "a pariah" due to its human rights record, and met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and other senior Saudi officials.
It now appears that Biden is ready to re-engage with a nation that has been a key strategic ally of the United States for decades, a major oil supplier, and a keen arms buyer. Washington is seeking to persuade the world's largest crude oil exporter to increase oil production to lower high fuel prices driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a situation that threatens Democrats' chances in the upcoming November elections. However, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan downplayed expectations for immediate progress in remarks made to reporters aboard Air Force One from Israel to Jeddah. He stated, "I don't think we should expect a specific announcement here, because we believe that any further action taken to ensure there is enough energy to protect the health of the global economy will occur within the context of OPEC Plus," the cartel that includes Russia. He added that the summit will allow Biden to "articulate his vision and strategy clearly and objectively" regarding US engagement in the Middle East, emphasizing, "He is determined to ensure there is no vacuum in the Middle East that China and Russia can fill."
